Navajo Sterling Silver Baby Rattle with Elk Tooth Teether

Native American, Navajo. A sterling silver baby rattle. Its handle ends in a polished elk canine tooth that served as a teether. The rattle head is a domed, barrel-shaped chamber made in two halves that meet at a raised double band, with the noisemaker sealed inside. A slim tubular shaft rises from the chamber, and a coil of silver wire winds up it like a vine climbing a garden stake. A plain silver collar at the top holds the creamy, gently curved tooth. Worn stamped marks on the crown of the chamber appear to read "JSA," "STERLING," and "S21," beside an abstract emblem, perhaps an eagle head. This is a practical nursery object finished with care: something to shake, something to chew, and a small sign of wealth placed in very small hands. Navajo silversmithing began when Diné smiths learned the craft from Mexican plateros. Their earliest work was hammered from coin silver into conchas, bracelets, and bridle ornaments. By the mid-twentieth century Navajo smiths were producing a wide range of forms for trading posts and a growing tourist and collector market. Hallmarks stamped with initials and "STERLING" became more common in this period as makers and traders sought to distinguish authentic handmade work. Elk canines, called "elk ivories" by collectors, are the two small vestigial upper canines found in each elk. Across much of Native North America they were prized as valuables and adornment, and hundreds might be sewn onto a single dress as a public display of a family's hunting success and wealth. Setting one at the end of a child's rattle makes a soothing teether of something long valued for its scarcity. This item may fall under the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act or other federal laws protecting Native American, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian cultural heritage. As such, it is not eligible for international shipping, and may also be subject to repatriation or tribal consultation within the United States. Buyers are responsible for ensuring their legal right to acquire, possess, or transfer this item under all applicable laws. This lot cannot be shipped outside the United States. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 206175

Estimate:$250

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