Raven rattles are some of the most iconic objects representing Northwest Coast cultures. Originating with the Tsimshian/Nishga’a of the Nass River valley, the tradition spread out among the Tlingit, Haida, Haisla, Heiltsuk and other nations as distant as the Kwakwaka'wakw of Vancouver Island. Many variations of the basic figures that make up the raven rattle appear in the historic record, but the primary ones at the core of the tradition are the flying raven itself, the man reclining on its back, and the tail-bird, which appears in two types, facing forward and facing aft. The image has been said to represent a kingfisher.

This rattle features the basic imagery with the tail facing aft, and includes a small frog situated on the man’s chest, its tongue entering the man’s mouth. This tongue connection is a metaphor for the transfer of esoteric secrets and knowledge, and appears between the man and the tail-bird when it is facing forward and no frog is present. The typical paint colors of black, red, and blue-green appear to be all Native pigments.

This rattle exhibits the classic sweep of the wings, up the neck to the head and out to the tip of the beak. The body of the reclining man does not touch the raven’s back, and his short legs and feet contact the ends of the tail-bird’s head-feathers. The tail sits on an unusual, raised platform instead of the rounded end of the raven’s body, but its function is the same. On the raven’s breast, the recurved beak of that face is often said to represent a hawk, but it may be more likely Raven-At-The-Head-Of-The-Nass. The carving and painting of this face are rough and asymmetrical, as is much of the other painting onboard. The classic forms of the overall sculpture suggest that the carver had a history with the tradition and was not a first-time rattle-maker. Perhaps an older man carved this rattle when his eyes and hands were less well guided.

Steven C. Brown