"Blue Feather Dance Rattle"

"Blue Feather Dance Rattle"

Close up inlayed and carved Lapis feather

Close up other side inlayed and carved Lapis feather


Front view with diamond shaped inlayed Lapis

Bottom view of gourd and designs

View of end of handle with Lapis Stone

Close up of Beading

Close up of beading
You may click on each picture to enlarge for a better view

I am posting a few pictures of my latest project, called "Blue Feather Dance Rattle", that I have been working on since I finished the Cedar Flute.

I used a Buffalo (American Bison) rib bone for the handle and a nice Peyote gourd for the rattle ,all designs are first drawn on then wood burned in and next came the fun part....I cut some very nice gem grade Lapis into a rough feather shape, inlaid it into the bone and carved it in place on both sides of the rib bone. I also cut and placed on the very end of the bone handle another nice piece of Lapis, I then proceeded to put leather on the places I wanted to bead, and then beaded those areas and put leather on the part that is held by the hand.

I next attached the gourd to the bone handle with wet rawhide which when dried out will shrink tight making a firm bond. I also cut a diamond shaped of Lapis and inlaid it into the gourd and did the beading on the gourd also.

I also added two blue feathers to the top of the gourd using part of the stem to anchor to by wrapping tightly with blue waxed linen thread.

I hope you enjoy looking at this project...a very unusual "Dance Rattle" but I used my Artist Licence to create this one just as it told me it wanted to be.