BirchBark Rattle, sweetgrass w/quillwork design: Paul St John, Mohawk (choose 1)

Description

Choose
yellow
,
green
, purple, rusty orange or  OR red rattle
-
when you purchase use the "send seller a message" option - and let me know ... yellow,
green,
purple,
rusty orange
or red.
-  I will remove the color from the choices when that rattle has been sold.
This birch bark rattle is a traditional rattle of the Wabanaki tribes and has been made by Paul St John, Mohawk.
A round sweetgrass basket shape is topped with a birch bark medallion and added to a hand carved twig handle which is then mostly wrapped with soft tanned leather.  -  There is a porcupine quill 4 Directions design on the medallion.  This is done in in the various color dyed porcupine quill.
The twig handle is wrapped in with leather which is secured at the end with sinew.   There are cherry pits inside providing the "rattle".  Cherry pits are the traditional addition for "rattle" in Iroquois rattles. These rattles have been customer favorites in the past and I have had buyers tell me they have used these in pow wow dancing and were quite pleased with them.
The rattle tops are about 2.5" in diameter and 2" long.  Handles vary slightly in length -  but all are between 6.25"  and 6.75" long.  The thickness of the handles varies slightly as well.
Don't forget to let me know which color you would like --- ... "Send Seller a message" telling me of your choice.
Paul St. John now lives in Maine.  He is an enrolled Mohawk tribal member.   He grew up on the Mohawk lands in New York, his father's homeland.  His mother is Passamaquoddy/MicMac/Maliseet - When I saw his work I knew immediately I needed to offer his great baskets and other works.  While quill work and coiled sweetgrass baskets are  historically Maine Indian traditional crafts, currently no one here but Paul St. John is actively practicing this craft.  -  Passamaquoddy basket makers, Jeremy Frey and Otter, both have used some quill work on their baskets...  but quill work on coiled sweetgrass baskets are Paul St John's specialty.
Paul is shown in last photo in the slideshow above.   He not only does sweetgrass coil baskets and porcupine quill work on birch bark -- but also amazing dolls, Iroquois beadwork, MicMac beadwork,  great moccasins, knife sheaths, medicine bags and so much more!  He is truly a man of many (many many) talents!
Watch this store for more of his pieces.  Can't wait to see what he is going to create next.