1986.4 Head-form rattle (Canada, B. Columbia, Haida)


GENERAL DESCRIPTION  
This Haida rattle would be displayed to accompany the Shaman Spirit songs. Shaman songs and paraphernalia were not passed down through the clans. The power of objects of each shaman were buried with the shaman when he died. It was believed that contact with anything that belonged to a shaman could cause an individual to be "called" to become a shaman. The call to be a shaman was life altering and demanding. It isolated the individual because the people feared the shaman's power. Few people sought to be called. 

Yeik (Shaman Spirit) songs in the Tlingit tradition ordinarily would be sung only on solemn occasions such as a memorial for the deceased.  

Excerpt from
Carol Robbins, Label text, A. H. Meadows Galleries.

NOTES
  • Haida, Early 19th century (noted on TMS), updated by KJones on 10/15/13 and 10/21/16.
  • Fun Facts Source: TMS, Notes/Text Entries, Attribution, data entered by Natalie Davis, 08/06/1992.

Catalogue essays

Artist/designers

Cultures
Haida: AAT: 300017606
Northwest Coast Native American styles: AAT: 300017594
Northwest Coast North American styles (Pre-Columbian): AAT: 300016902

Geography 
Canada (nation): TGN: 7005685 
British Columbia (province): TGN: 7005735

Process/materials
wood: AAT: 300011914
paint (coating): AAT: 300015029
carving (processes): AAT: 300053149

Historical periods

Individuals

Subject terms
sculpture: AAT: 300047090
tools: AAT: 300024841
rattles: AAT: 300041933
sound devices (equipment): AAT: 300387677
sound (acoustics): AAT: 300056060
musical instruments: AAT: 300041620
music (discipline): AAT: 300054146
ceremonial objects: AAT: 300234117
ceremonial sound devices: AAT: 300312157
ritual objects: AAT: 300312158
supernatural (concepts): AAT: 300055947
figures (representations): AAT: 300189808
human figures: AAT: 300404114
faces (animal or human components): AAT: 300251798
face paint (body art / visual works / adornment): DMA
geometric shape: AAT: 300263819
circles (plane figures): AAT: 300055627
circular (shape): AAT: 300263827
teeth (animal components): AAT: 300400467
myth: AAT: 300201023
mythical or legendary beings: AAT: 300375725
shaman: AAT: 300218522
shamanism: AAT: 300055999
spirits: AAT: 300379007
deaths: AAT: 300151836
songs (oral or performed works): AAT: 300400522
clans (kinship groups): AAT: 300049957
power: AAT: 300374809
burials: AAT: 300263485
funerary objects: AAT: 300234126
Tlingit (Northwest Coast Native American culture or style): AAT: 300017629
Tlingit (language): AAT: 300389419
memorials (Structures): AAT: 300006956
dead (people): AAT: 300389809

RELATED OBJECTS 

PROVENANCE 
Until 1986: Nora and John Wise, New York [1], [2], [3]

From 1986: Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Nora Wise [1], [2], [3]

[1] The main source for this provenance was existing information in TMS (in Dallas Museum of Art Digital Collections Records Object Files). Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.  

[2] The main source for this provenance is letter from Nora Wise to John Lunsford, Senior Curator at the Dallas Museum of Art (dated November 27, 1985, copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records Object File). Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.

[3] The main source for this provenance is Acquisition Record (dated February 05, 1986, copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records Object File). Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.

AUDIO ASSETS 

VIDEO ASSETS

IMAGE ASSETS

WEB RESOURCES 

ARCHIVAL RESOURCES

FUN FACTS
  • Named on "American Indian and Northwest Coast Top Ten List" (August 6, 1992), Steven A. LeBlanc, former curator at the Southwest Museum at Los Angeles.

TEACHING IDEAS

RULES
Apply to objects where number equals 1986.4


Category
rules_operator
AND
General Description
 
This Haida rattle would be displayed to accompany the Shaman Spirit songs. Shaman songs and paraphernalia were not passed down through the clans. The power of objects of each shaman were buried with the shaman when he died. It was believed that contact with anything that belonged to a shaman could cause an individual to be "called" to become a shaman. The call to be a shaman was life altering and demanding. It isolated the individual because the people feared the shaman's power. Few people sought to be called. 

Yeik (Shaman Spirit) songs in the Tlingit tradition ordinarily would be sung only on solemn occasions such as a memorial for the deceased.  

Excerpt from
Carol Robbins, Label text, A. H. Meadows Galleries.

Fun Facts
  • Named on "American Indian and Northwest Coast Top Ten List" (August 6, 1992), Steven A. LeBlanc, former curator at the Southwest Museum at Los Angeles.

Archival Resources

Web Resources
 

Notes
  • Haida, Early 19th century (noted on TMS), updated by KJones on 10/15/13 and 10/21/16.
  • Fun Facts Source: TMS, Notes/Text Entries, Attribution, data entered by Natalie Davis, 08/06/1992.

Catalogue essays

Artist/designers

Cultures
Haida: AAT: 300017606
Northwest Coast Native American styles: AAT: 300017594
Northwest Coast North American styles (Pre-Columbian): AAT: 300016902

Geography 
Canada (nation): TGN: 7005685 
British Columbia (province): TGN: 7005735

Process/materials
wood: AAT: 300011914
paint (coating): AAT: 300015029
carving (processes): AAT: 300053149

Historical periods

Individuals

Subject terms
sculpture: AAT: 300047090
tools: AAT: 300024841
rattles: AAT: 300041933
sound devices (equipment): AAT: 300387677
sound (acoustics): AAT: 300056060
musical instruments: AAT: 300041620
music (discipline): AAT: 300054146
ceremonial objects: AAT: 300234117
ceremonial sound devices: AAT: 300312157
ritual objects: AAT: 300312158
supernatural (concepts): AAT: 300055947
figures (representations): AAT: 300189808
human figures: AAT: 300404114
faces (animal or human components): AAT: 300251798
face paint (body art / visual works / adornment): DMA
geometric shape: AAT: 300263819
circles (plane figures): AAT: 300055627
circular (shape): AAT: 300263827
teeth (animal components): AAT: 300400467
myth: AAT: 300201023
mythical or legendary beings: AAT: 300375725
shaman: AAT: 300218522
shamanism: AAT: 300055999
spirits: AAT: 300379007
deaths: AAT: 300151836
songs (oral or performed works): AAT: 300400522
clans (kinship groups): AAT: 300049957
power: AAT: 300374809
burials: AAT: 300263485
funerary objects: AAT: 300234126
Tlingit (Northwest Coast Native American culture or style): AAT: 300017629
Tlingit (language): AAT: 300389419
memorials (Structures): AAT: 300006956
dead (people): AAT: 300389809

RELATED OBJECTS 

PROVENANCE 
Until 1986: Nora and John Wise, New York [1], [2], [3]

From 1986: Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Nora Wise [1], [2], [3]

[1] The main source for this provenance was existing information in TMS (in Dallas Museum of Art Digital Collections Records Object Files). Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.  

[2] The main source for this provenance is letter from Nora Wise to John Lunsford, Senior Curator at the Dallas Museum of Art (dated November 27, 1985, copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records Object File). Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.

[3] The main source for this provenance is Acquisition Record (dated February 05, 1986, copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records Object File). Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.

AUDIO ASSETS 

VIDEO ASSETS

rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1986.4
tags
Canada (nation): TGN: 7005685
#draft
#completed
@Higgins
*Arts of the Americas
~American Indian
%copyedited_Gail
funerary objects: AAT: 300234126
paint (coating): AAT: 300015029
burials: AAT: 300263485
figures (representations): AAT: 300189808
circular (shape): AAT: 300263827
%Archived
myth: AAT: 300201023
faces (animal or human components): AAT: 300251798
ceremonial objects: AAT: 300234117
mythical or legendary beings: AAT: 300375725
carving (processes): AAT: 300053149
Haida: AAT: 300017606
Northwest Coast Native American styles: AAT: 300017594
British Columbia (province/Canada): TGN: 7005735
Northwest Coast North American styles (Pre-Columbian): AAT: 300016902
heads (representations): AAT: 300262520
human figures: AAT: 300404114
wood (plant material): AAT: 300011914
power: AAT: 300374809
circles (plane figures): AAT: 300055627
sound (acoustics): AAT: 300056060
geometric shape: AAT: 300263819
supernatural (concepts): AAT: 300055947
face paint (body art / visual works / adornment): DMA
musical instruments: AAT: 300041620
ritual objects: AAT: 300312158
deaths: AAT: 300151836
music (discipline): AAT: 300054146
spirit: AAT: 300379007
clans (kinship groups): AAT: 300049957
teeth (animal components): AAT: 300400467
shamanism: AAT: 300055999
sound devices (equipment): AAT: 300387677
dead (people): AAT: 300389809
memorials (Structures): AAT: 300006956
ceremonial sound devices: AAT: 300312157
songs (oral or performed works): AAT: 300400522
rattles: AAT: 300041933
shaman: AAT: 300218522
tools: AAT: 300024841
Tlingit (Northwest Coast Native American culture or style): AAT: 300017629
Tlingit (language): AAT: 300389419
source file
object_notes_3_a-0600.xml.nores