Early Grouping Of Musical Implements

Item #: 213
Origin: Iroquois
Date: Circa 1840 or earlier
Media: Mixed
Description: Group includes bone whistle/flute, wood and gourd rattle, brass hawks bell, 10 tin cone tinklers, 5 deer dew claw/hoof tinklers with period red wool cordage and blue wool trade cloth pad/washer between gourd and wood shaft, all with fine old polished patina. Flute is 6″ long, rattle is 4 1/2″ long. All this came together, bound together with red and white wool and linen cordage. Found in Jeffersonville Ohio from a family that moved to Ohio from Western N.Y. in the 1850’s. It is likely that this group is far earlier than 1840, possibly even late 18th  century. For nearly identical gourd rattle with tinklers and hawks bell see Handbook of American Indians Vol. 7, Northeast, Smithsonian, 1978, page 318, figures C & G.