Yung-Wey-Sha-Na (rattle)
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
turtle, buckskin, tin
Dimensions
shell: L. ±3 3/4 × W. ±3 1/8 in. (9.5 × 8 cm) fringe L. ±2 15/16 in. (7.5 cm)
Classification
Idiophone-Shaken-rattle
Culture
Native American (Hopi)
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
Accession Number
89.4.619
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the enchanting world of Hopi musical traditions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art The *Yung-Wey-Sha-Na*, a 19th-century rattle from the Native American Hopi culture, the ingenuity of indigenous craftsmanship. Classified as an idiophone—a self-sounding instrument—this compact rattle measures just about 3¾ inches long and 3⅛ inches wide for its turtle shell body, with a 2⅞-inch buckskin fringe. Crafted by an unknown Hopi artist, it was part of sacred rituals, dances, and ceremonies where its rhythmic shake produced evocative sounds to accompany storytelling, prayers, or communal gathe...