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19th-20th century
Wood, leather, and haliotis shell
The Christina N. and Swan J. Turnblad Memorial Fund
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Look
- Review the story of Raven. Where do you see the Raven on this sculpture? Where is his head? Where are his wings? Where is the human
form on the sculpture?
Which part seems most important?
The raven.
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Another view of the Chief's Rattle |
Find these features in this image of another view of the rattle.
Which part seems most important from this view?
The human.
- The five different figures that make up this rattle fit together like pieces of a
puzzle. Imagine that you have taken this puzzle apart. Would you still be able to identify the figures if they were not attached to one
another?
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- GEOMETRIC SHAPES
are shapes that come from simple geometry - for example, the circle, square, triangle, and rectangle.
ORGANIC SHAPES
are irregular shapes.
Are the shapes that make up this sculpture geometric or organic?
Organic.
Now consider the lines on the sculpture that decorate the organic shapes.
Do these lines form organic or geometric shapes?
Geometric.
How has the artist integrated these two different kinds of shapes on this sculpture?
The LINEAR
geometric decorations are placed so that they conform to the organic shapes on which they appear.
Think
- Why might the Haida people want to associate with the mythological character of Raven? Recall the story: Raven is associated
with Haida creation mythology and possesses the powerful ability to change form.
- What other kinds of rattles can you think of? What are they used for?
Baby rattles are used to amuse and soothe. Maracas or other rattles are used to mark rhythm in music. A rattlesnake uses a rattle to issue a warning.
- Raven is one of the most popular characters in Haida mythology.
Can you think of other animal characters that appear frequently in stories that you have heard?
The wolf in stories such as the Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Peter and the Wolf. Anansi the Spider is a popular character in West African folktales. Many stories have been written about the mythical unicorn.
Which other works of art in this image set represent animals in mythology?
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United States. 20th Century A.D. |
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China. 19th Century A.D. |
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Papua New Guinea (New Ireland). 19th Century A.D. |
- The artist who carved the raven rattle painted it with black and bright colors that helped to structure the design of the
decorations on the rattle. You may see some traces of the paint still on the rattle, but most of it has worn away.
Do you think it is possible to appreciate the rattle as a work of art even though we can't see it as the artist originally intended it to appear?
No right answer.
Challenge: You are the curator of a museum's collection of American Indian art.
Should you display this rattle as it is, without its original painted colors, or should you attempt to repaint the rattle in order to display it as the artist intended?
No right answer.
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