This type of rattle could be made by any Northern Plains tribe. Probably ceremonial and may be medicine society (?).Coindition poor.

Culin purchased this rattle from Saucy Calf who explained the symbolism to Francis La Flesche. It would have been used in what is now the Native American Church. The gourd is painted with a zigzag line of red paint that represents the crown of thorns. The handle is worked with beads that represent lightning, divided into two parts by a band in the middle. The lower part of this band represents earth and the upper the sky, illustrating man ascending into heaven. The metal attached to the handle reads, “Behold the heart of Jesus is with me."

This long, elegant flute is made from a sound piece of wood with a bell shaped gourd painted in black, yellow, blue and white. Sprigs of fir are tied around the middle.

Bark cloth costume with a round face gourd mask. The costume is narrow at the top (34 cm wide including ears), does not have arms or arm-holes, and the front opening is sewn closed with plant fibre. The head is lightly stuffed with newspaper. An oversized J-shaped penis attachment made of wood and wrapped in barkcloth is tied to the front of the costume. The circular face of the mask is framed with a bent stem tied on with grass fibres (19 cm in diameter). The face area is covered in a very dark brown paint or pitch and has projecting round eyes, a triangular nose and carved lips, with a round ear projecting out to each side. There is a faint painted circular design on the front side of the costume in orange and brown. The bottom of the pants is heavily fringed and is the widest part of the costume. The bark cloth ranges through three shades with the lightest used for the head, a light brown for the body and darker brown for the pants.

Small round basketry-covered gourd container with round opening and a thin twined string handle.

Unworked gourd with bumpy surface has one globular end and the other end long and narrow like a handle. Dried seeds inside the gourd rattle when shaken.

Small engraved sugar gourd with lid cut from top in a circular zigzag. Engraved decoration, stained black against the brown, consists of several encircling bands of vegetal spirals and chains, a band showing musicians and villagers dancing, and a band of llamas. The flat bottom is plain.

Woven fish figure. The fish has protruding lips, round face, upper and lower fins and a tail. Black dots are painted on the flat body. Attached to the back is a string for hanging.

Woven pig figure. The figure has round ears, cowrie shell eyes and a long protruding snout. On the round body are four thick legs and a thin tail. The figure is light brown with painted black dots on the back. Attached to the back is a string for hanging.

Woven pig figure. The figure has round ears, cowrie shell eyes and a long protruding snout. On the round body are four thick legs and a long tail. The figure is brown with a painted concentric circle design in black, white and red. Attached to the back is a string for hanging.