Gourd or Peyote Rattle

Arthur and Shifra Silberman Collection

Peyote rattles are commonly part of a “set” of religious items associated with the Native American Church that included eagle feather fans, rattles, and the sacramental peyote bud. These items are carried in a special peyote kit or box similar to an old-fashioned wooden toolbox. These boxes are often made of cedar and sometimes painted with symbols associated with the Native American Church.