Bear Rattle Hand Crafted

Description

Bear Rattle Hand Crafted by Vera Beaver of the Navajo Tribe, USA. Overall length of rattle varies from about 15-17 cms (about 6 inches). This length excludes leather tassels. The round rattle head is made from leather, moulded, set and then hand painted by the artist and then coated to protect. Each rattle has a small signed certificate of authenticity attached

Rattles have been used across many cultures, but are always for the purpose of changing bad for good and aligning the users with a higher purpose. Regularly featured in mythology, the bear is largely a solitary animal. In terms of Native American belief, the bear is a symbol of ‘going within’ and the sweetness of life.

Vera Beaver is a member of the Navajo tribe and lives in the USA. We trade directly with this artist making sure he receives a fair price for his work. All items will be good quality but because of the hand made nature of the goods it is possible that crafts such as these may have small differences between them. These small differences (if there are any) should be seen as a testimony to the fact that you are buying authentic Native American crafts.

Man has always needed music and sought out ways to make it. Rattles have been used throughout the world to help keep rhythm during tribal dances and ceremonies. Native American rattles may date back to historic times. They were the perfect accompaniment to Native American ceremonies, which often included dancing. The rhythm the rattle helps keep during the dance is unforgettable – something that resonates to the very soul, helping make the ceremony a spiritual experience.

Native American rattles can be made of many types of materials. The Indian tribes of the Northwest coast used one of their most plentiful resources – wood – to carve a hollow container. The Plains tribes had an abundance of rawhide, which they used to shape a container for their rattles. Tribes of the Southwest used gourds and even others used turtle shells, horns, or anything that would hold the insides of the Native American rattle – seed, rocks, shells. It was those items that gave the rattle its rattle sound.

When you see Native American rattles, you may not realize all that they symbolize. The rattle is an instrument of independence. It is a piece that utilizes what the Native Americans refer to as the three kingdoms or nations. The animal kingdom is represented by the container or feather decorations used on the rattle. The mineral kingdom is represented by rocks used for sound or the paint used for decoration. The plant kingdom is represented by the container (if a gourd is used) or the wooden handle of the rattle. The Native Americans realize that spiritual energy can be derived from the trance like state that can be induced by music. The rattle causes our bodies and minds both to respond to it. Some cultures believe that music can unblock energy within our bodies and thus heal us of ailments. The beating of the rattle helps break up stagnant energy that is blocking the natural flow within your body. It can also help us focus on our souls, our cores. If you sit quietly alone or with friends and shake a Native American rattle, the music will help you clear your mind and open a doorway to a different emotional place.

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