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Peyote Rattle

Albert Hensley Native American

ca. 1900

Not on view

Albert Hensley, a member of the Native American Church, created this rattle—a ritual object central to nightlong religious ceremonies. A portrait of Jesus Christ and Bible passages, along with the sun, stars, and crescent moon, are inscribed on the gourd. The Native American Church—an important religion today—emerged in the 1870s, informed by traditional Native beliefs and Christianity. The peyote plant, considered to be a physical and spiritual medicine, is used as a holy sacrament.

Peyote Rattle, Albert Hensley (Native American, Winnebago, born ca. 1875), Wood, gourd, native leather, glass beads, horsehair, metal, brass tacks and pigment, Winnebago — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Peyote Rattle, Albert Hensley (Native American, Winnebago, born ca. 1875), Wood, gourd, native leather, glass beads, horsehair, metal, brass tacks and pigment, Winnebago

Peyote Rattle, Albert Hensley (Native American, Winnebago, born ca. 1875), Wood, gourd, native leather, glass beads, horsehair, metal, brass tacks and pigment, Winnebago

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Peyote Rattle

Artist: Albert Hensley (Native American, Winnebago, born ca. 1875)

Date: ca. 1900

Geography: United States, Nebraska

Culture: Winnebago

Medium: Wood, gourd, native leather, glass beads, horsehair, metal, brass tacks and pigment

Dimensions: Length: 29 1/2 in. (74.9 cm)
Width: 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)
Height: 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)

Classification: Wood-Musical Instruments

Credit Line: Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln (226)

The Met

The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing at The Met

The Met's collection of art of the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific Islands, and North, Central, and South America comprises more than eleven thousand works of art of varied materials and types, representing diverse cultural traditions from as early as 3000 B.C.E. to the present.