Snapping turtle dance rattle
Vernacular Name
- Kanyahte' ka'nowa'
Date1875-1925 ca.
Place MadeNortheast, United States, North America
SignedNoneDescriptionRattles made of — or shaped like — turtles reflect the central role of the turtle in many Native American creation stories. This one was crafted by the Haudenosaunee, a Northeastern woodland tribe also known as the Iroquois, to punctuate longhouse dance ceremonies with percussive sounds. The shells often developed cracks as they were shaken and struck against longhouse benches. The lack of wear on this rattle suggests it might have been taken by or made for government anthropologists. In the late 1800s, the US government mounted expeditions to document Native cultures before they died out — which was an objective of that same government.Snapping turtle resonator with deer tibia handle. Small vertebrae lashed to shell sound, along with contents of rattle, typically corn or small stones.DimensionsLength: 770 mm (30 in)
Width: 250 mm (9.8 in)ProvenanceNo known provenance.
Credit LinePaul and Jean Christian Collection, 2006
Object number11540
On View
On view
1850-1875 ca.
