Beaded gourd rattle with beadwork designs executed in net (gourd) technique. The top of the rattle is decorated with dyed red horse hair and dyed red chicken hackles. The beaded spirals feature: blue-gold cut beads, gold, light green, blue, light blue transparent, red, white, and dark blue seed beads. The bottom of the rattle features a 2-ply twisted buckskin fringe (10 strands) and 2 otter fur strips, beaded where they attach to the handle. One buckskin fringe has a blue and gold metal Rotary emblem.

This gourd rattle may have been used by the Osage, and most likely made by another tribe. The beadwork is indicative of the Osage style. The otter fur strips symbolic of purity. A rotary pin is attached to one of the leather fringe pieces.

Tags: metal, otter fur, beadwork, peyote rattle, Native American Church, rotary international charm, wooden handle, leather fringe
People: Osage
Places: Oklahoma
Purpose: peyote meeting

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