Collected in Arizona 
Southwest / Cherokee

Gourd, leather, pigment, seeds
Early – Mid 20th century
Length: 13.25 in
Idiophones – Indirectly Struck – Rattle

The Cherokee were known to leave the stem on the gourd to use as a handle. This authentic rattle has great patina on the handle which is wrapped in leather and painted with blue, white, and red colors.  The upper part of the gourd is filled with seeds and painted white with red dots, lines, geometric designs, and a blue circle on the very top.

Today, three Cherokee tribes are federally recognized: the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians (UKB) in Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation (CN) in Oklahoma, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) in North Carolina.