Rattle

Rattle

Rattle

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Introduction

The ancestor is a dew claw rattle of Odawa origin from the 18th century. The rattle is made up of a finely smoothed reddish brown wooden stick encased in a tightly fitted leather cover. Eight metal cones and sixty-nine dew claws are attached to the leather covered stick by means of leather thongs. The ancestor currently resides in the Detroit Institute of Arts, catalogue number 81.174.3. It is part of a war bundle (DIA catalogue number 81.174.1-13) collected by M. G. Chandler at Walpole Island, Ontario.

Traditional Knowledge Label
TK Culturally Sensitive
TK Culturally Sensitive

This material has cultural and/or historical sensitivities

Maker role: Artist
Nation of Maker: Odawa
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular nation(s)

Detroit Institute of Arts documentation

Place of Origin: Michigan, USA
Date Made or Date Range: 1700s
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

Detroit Institute of Arts documentation

Materials

The rattle is made with wood, leather, metal and dew claws.

Techniques or Format

The dew claw rattle is made of a finely smoothed reddish brown stick wrapped with a leather cover. Leather thongs are use to attach eight metal cones and sixty nine dew claws to stick.

Other Notes

The rattle is found in war bundle which is housed at the DIA (catalogue# 81.174.1)

Condition: The leather cover at the base of the handle has been stripped indicating some wear.
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

Detroit Institute of Arts documentation

Current Location: Detroit Institute of Arts, MI, USA
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 81.174.3
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1981
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Richard A. Pohrt
Collection Narratives and Histories

The rattle is from the M. G. Chandler collection, Walpole Island, Ontario and as per local tradition believed to be part of the war bundle of the Ottawa Chief, Pontiac. Pohrt notes indicate however, the material is not old enough for the rattle to have belonged to Chief Pontiac. It is suggested that Chandler's informant may have meant Chief Tecumseh.

GKS Reference Number: 25220
Record Creation Context

This record was augmented by Shamina Vastani in January 2024.

Approximate Place of Origin

42.455887641972, -83.1886526362

Source of Information about Places

Connections to Mihigan via Chief Pontiac, and Bkejwanong, Walpole Island, noted in DIA records.

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