Tlingit. <em>Oyster Catcher Rattle</em>, late 19th century. Wood, abalone shell, 9 x 13 x 5 in. (22.9 x 33 x 12.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum Collection, 05.273. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 05.273_view1_bw.jpg)

Tlingit. Oyster Catcher Rattle, late 19th century. Wood, abalone shell, 9 x 13 x 5 in. (22.9 x 33 x 12.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum Collection, 05.273. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 05.273_view1_bw.jpg)

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To create the sounds that each instrument makes, were the actual instruments on display used or were replicas made?

The sounds were sourced from soundtracks of similar types of instruments being played such as Dale Olsen’s Music of El Dorado and Peyote songs from the Smithsonian’s Folkways Records.

What kind of instrument is this?

That is an Oyster Catcher Rattler made by a Tlingit artist. "Oyster catcher" refers to the type of bird that the rattle is shaped like. It would have been shaken over the body of an ill person in a healing ritual.

Tell me more.

This Tlingit rattle is in the form of an oyster catcher, which was thought to be a transformative animal because it lives in the sky yet dives beneath the water for sustenance.

Take notice of the inlaid abalone shell used to highlight the eye and a couple places on the body. Such a wonderfully delicate touch.

You'll also notice that their is a figure on the back of the bird, thought to be a shaman, which is appropriate since the rattle would be shaken by a shaman over the body of a sick person to heal them.

How do you play the Oyster Catcher Rattle?

The rattle is shaken and small pieces inside create noise. It's a percussion instrument, like a maraca.

Oyster Catcher Rattle

Arts of the Americas

Rattles are shaken by a shaman over an afflicted person’s body or left with the patient for protection. This example depicts a long-billed bird called an oyster catcher, thought to be a transformative animal because it lives in the sky yet dives beneath the water for sustenance. Riding on the bird’s back is a shaman who is being transformed into a land otter with a long tail terminating in a horned monster face. The bird’s webbed feet are carved on the underside of the rattle.

Las maracas son sacudidas por un chamán sobre el cuerpo de la persona enferma o se dejan con el paciente como protección. Este ejemplo muestra un ave de largo pico llamada cazador de ostras, el cual se cree es un animal de transformación ya que vive en el cielo, pero bucea bajo el agua para conseguir alimento. Cabalgando a espaldas del pájaro se ve a un chamán que se transforma en una nutria de cola larga terminada en una cara monstruosa con cuernos. Los pies palmados del ave están tallados al reverso de la maraca.

CULTURE Tlingit

MEDIUM Wood, abalone shell

Possible Place Made: Koskimo, British Columbia, Canada

DATES late 19th century

DIMENSIONS 9 x 13 x 5 in. (22.9 x 33 x 12.7 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Arts of the Americas

ACCESSION NUMBER 05.273

CREDIT LINE Brooklyn Museum Collection

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Chief's or shaman's rattle of carved wood with abalone inlay. Long billed bird with possibly the shaman himself riding on the birds back, the back has become a land otter with a long tail. The tail ends as if it is a monster face at the land otters tail and horns take the place of ears. The underside of the rattle has a beaked bird with web feet upturned. Koskimo location is now called Tla-o-qui-aht. This was once catalogued as depicting the legend of Ka-ka-tete,[Ka-tia-hete] the whistling demon. Examined by Bill Holm 11/71 and called the finest example of its kind. Condition: Thongs holding it together are gone, now glued. Three abalone eyes gone. Tlingit attribution based on stylistic evidence. Original attribution was Kwakwaka'wak. This acession number assigned to it in c. 1930 when first record was made.

EXHIBITIONS

Life, Death, and Transformation in the Americas

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Tlingit. Oyster Catcher Rattle, late 19th century. Wood, abalone shell, 9 x 13 x 5 in. (22.9 x 33 x 12.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum Collection, 05.273. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 05.273_view1_bw.jpg)

IMAGE profile, 05.273_view1_bw.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

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