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Tin tomato can dance shakers with leather straps / Clifford Littlebear

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Curatorial Remarks

These shell shakers are worn by women during stomp dances. Not all women wear shell shakers. Shell shakers are heavy. This set of shell shakers are made from tin tomato cans; at one point in time shell shakers were made from milk cans. The tin cans are some times attached to leather boot tops.

Tags: tin cans, shell shakers, leather straps
People: Euchee, Clifford Littlebear
Places: Southeastern, Eastern Oklahoma
Purpose: ceremonial events, stomp dances

From interviews with Dr. Garrick Bailey, 2018-2020 University of Tulsa, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology

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©Gilcrease Museum
Title(s): 
Tin tomato can dance shakers with leather straps
Creator(s): 
Clifford Littlebear (Artist)
Culture: 
Native American; Euchee
Date: 
late 20th century
Materials/Techniques: 
tin, leather, brass, stone
Classification: 
Ethnographic Objects
Object Type: 
Shakers
Credit Line: 
Purchased with funds gifted by the Lila Wallace Reader's Digest Community Folklife Program
Accession No: 
84.2888a-b
Previous Number(s): 
TL1997.63.2
Department: 
Anthropology
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