Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Shaman's rattle
Not on view
Rattles are used to signal the beginning of an important speech or prayer during potlatch ceremonies, which bring together different classes of what have historically been highly stratified societies to witness leaders’ generosity and status. Tsimshian shamans also use rattles as tools to communicate with spirit ancestors and to heal patients. In this example, the front is defined as a human head enlivened with bone teeth and a crown with bear hair. The reverse is incised and gouged with abstract zoomorphic designs. The contrast between the aggressive gaze and the pattern of crests on the reverse was both decorative and meant to enhance the rattle’s effectiveness.
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