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Peyote Rattle

Albert Hensley Native American
ca. 1900
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
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.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 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)
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing