Gourd rattle of bell gourd with trimmed lower edge. Gourd is undecorated. Handle is held in place by abalone disc insside lower end of gourd, loose not snug. Handle spike goes through abalone and gourd and prodtrudes about 1 3/16" from the top of the gourd with a diameter of 1/4". Handle has 4 5/8" of eagle designs (2) carved on upper section. The 4" bottom section is covered by peyote-stitch beadwork. Design mainly symmetrical except for outer edges. Colors: blue eridescent, black irid, red, green, light green, yellow, orange, pastel lavender, lavender, white, and maroon. Design mainly "stair-step" zig-zag. Fringe of commercial twisted white buckskin, 4 white, 4 dyed red, 4 dyed green. Spike cover of leather tube covered by wrapping of commercial threads, symmetrical design with green, yellow, orange, and red around a silver metallic and reveresed sequence. Band o fwhite leather covers the base of guinea or pheasant feathers over red and blue hackles, around red-dyed white horsehair. Glass pony beads visible inside gourd.

Native American Church gourd rattle with beaded handle and twisted yarn fringe. Wood of the handle is intricately carved in the shape of a anhinga or waterbird above the beaded grip and extends to the gourd head. There are no attachments to the fringe.

Tags: plastic beads, anhinga or waterbird carving, carved handle, quill work, glass beads, wood, peyote rattle, Native American Church, beaded handle
People: possibly Kiowa or Cheyenne
Places: Oklahoma
Purpose: peyote meeting,

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