Beadwork quintanagalleries | Contemporary Ceremonial Peyote Rattle by Tom Armour, Arapaho

Contemporary Ceremonial Peyote Rattle
by Tom Armour, Arapaho
Peyote stitch beadwork, gourd, wood, antelope hair tassel, leather
19” tall x 2” wide x 2” deep

The Peyote rattle was frequently used during Native American church ceremonies and was an important element of the Half Moon ceremony. A community elder is in charge of leading this ceremony, which involves the ingestion of dried peyote, a hallucinogenic cactus that was believed to induce visions. This rattle was also constructed from a spherical gourd shape and filled with nuts or seeds.