kuxmin (Rattle)

The legend of Quatyaht is as follows: there was once a woman who had lost all her children because they were kidnapped by the Wild Woman of the Woods. One day she was mourning on the beach, crying for her children and her nose ran. She flung the mucus on the beach and it hit a mussel shell. It was taken into the shell and rapidly developed into a fetus and then a child. He became the favorite of the family, and brought them love and joy. He was very capable and had supernatural powers. He grew-up to slay the Wild Woman who had been kidnapping the children. (Legend was told to Dr. E. Johnson by Joe David on 19870901.)

contemporary art; ceremonial

Unfinished yew wood two-piece mussel shell shaped rattle is tied together with orange-brown string and contains pearls. One side shows concentric growth rings and an elongated four-point star. The other side is carved with a profile human figure which has a split u form above a curved brow; straight upper eyelid line curves downward onto temple, u shaped lower eyelid, circular pupil; large curvilinear nostril joins lip band; eight upper teeth; u shape from corner of lower lip band; oval, s shapes, split u and a four-pointed star on body; curvilinear lines at base depict arms and legs.