Robert Thomas (Coast Salish)
Dance rattle in the shape of an orca
Americas, Canada, British Columbia, Vancouver Island
1998
Cedar wood, carved, painted
Dr. Lothar Dräger (former curator for North America at the museum) collected the dance rattle during a trip to North America in 1999
Purchased by the museum from Dräger in 2000
NAm 5103
This dance rattle depicting a killer whale (orca) was carved out of cedar wood and painted. It was crafted by the artist Robert Thomas (*1969, Coast Salish) in 1998. He has specialized in carving masks and paddles since 1990.
The killer whale (orca) is an important symbol in Northwest Coast art. Because they live in groups, raise their calves together, and form lifelong partnerships, orcas represent values such as community, family, compassion, and the protection of travelers. Due to their strength and their group hunting, they are considered the guardians of the sea. Orcas are recurring motifs in the creation stories of many Indigenous communities.
Lothar Dräger (*1935) was the museum's curator for North America until 2000. It was not until the end of the GDR that he had the opportunity to conduct his own ethnological fieldwork. Since the 1990s, however, he has made several trips to the United States and Canada, building a collection in the process.
Frank Usbeck