rattle

Carved and painted wood raven rattle, in two parts, split horizontally down the belly and handle (which emerges from the tail). The back of the rattle is carved with the conventional figure lying down, hands on knees, the face carved with a mask in Central Northwest Coast style [Tsimshian/Northern Kwakiutl], the tongue held in the beak of a bird whose head is carved at the back of the rattle. The raven is shown holding the sun in its beak; the belly of the raven is carved with a series of interlocking formline features, principally a hawk head, which seems to sit directly on a bear's head; underneath is another face with large eyes, from whose mouth the handle emerges, and on whose forehead seems to be a killer whale fin. The end of the handle is carved with a ridge and recess for a binding to hold the two parts together, now missing. There are further holes for bindings in the side, now missing and replaced with modern thread, and a shallow joint in the interface of the two halves in the tail/handle so that the two halves stay together. The whole carving, of some excellence, is covered in a heavy 19th century varnish. On the back of the bird is a small sticky label, with numbers in ink, probably a dealers code and perhaps price.