Northwest Coast Makah Rattle

ca. 1998

3" H x 13.25" L x 1.8125" W + 7.25" L Fringe

Hand Carved from Wood in a Dragon Like Head with Painted Red, Black and White Colors in a Geometric Facial Design with Two Glass Eyes and Yellow Leather on the Handle with Fringe and has Pebbles on the Inside and Rattles when Shaken

In Very Good Condition

The Makah are a Native American tribe of the Northwest Coast, specifically the southernmost Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootkan) group, living at the northwestern tip of Washington's Olympic Peninsula in Neah Bay and surrounding villages. Their culture is deeply tied to the sea, with a long history of whaling, sealing, fishing, and rich ceremonial traditions. 

Makah rattles (sometimes called kuxmin in related Nuu-chah-nulth languages for bird-form examples) are traditional percussion instruments carved primarily from cedar wood. They form part of the broader Northwest Coast artistic and spiritual toolkit, used in dances, ceremonies, shamanic practices, and rituals such as the Tlokwali (Wolf Ritual or Wolf Dance), which involves complex performances with masks, songs, drums, whistles, and rattles.