The sounds emanating from the shaking of a rattle during a ceremony serve as a primary means of communicating with the spiritual world for the First Nations of the Northwest Coast.  Some traditional rattles have been closely linked with status; the accompanying movements, songs and knowledge the sole property of the performer.  Others are essential for guiding dancers entwined in the throes of a performance approaching the brink of being in a trance.  A Shaman has the ability to call on the aid of the spirits during a healing ceremony through the gateway opened between the two worlds by the reverberations of the rattle.  This diverse use has translated into an equally varied range of designs.  The Inuit Gallery of Vancouver is proud to have assembled an incredible selection of these powerful communicators to the spiritual world.

The diversity of the rattles is fascinating and the comparison of historical and contemporary rattles intriguing.  This collection features rattles by some of the Northwest Coast’s foremost First Nations artists, including Isabel Rorick, John Marston, Luke Marston, Norman Tait, Richard Sumner, Tim Paul, Reg Davidson and many others.

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