Southern Alaska and northern British Columbia
Northwest Coast / Tlingit

Wood, pigment
19th century
Length: 13.375 in
idiophone – Struck – Indirectly Struck – Rattles

A 19^th century Northwest Coast Tlingit rattle ( called ‘sheishóox’ in Lingit Language), in the form of a raven, carrying the sun in his beak, with a reclining shaman on his back.  The shaman is receiving transference (spiritual power) via the tongue of a bird.  The belly or chest of the raven has an abstract carved face of possibly a hawk.  The symbolism refers to the way that an ixt’, or shaman, acquired the land otter and other animals as helping spirits by cutting out their tongues. Raven rattles were widespread among Northwest Coast peoples and are thought to have been first made by the Nisga’a.

Reference:  https://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=16