Gray sandstone. Drilled hole at one end. Traces of ocher.
Donor:
David Wayne Peri
Collection place:
Bodega Bay, Sonoma County, California
Verbatim coll. place:
California; Northern California; Bodega Bay
Culture or time period:
Coast Miwok
Collector:
David Wayne Peri
Collection date:
ca. 1950
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Charmstones
Function:
5.2 Magic: Objects Associated with Practices reflecting confidence in the ability to manipulate supernatural agencies
Accession date:
1965
Context of use:
Used to cure water sickness i.e. sickness from confined body of water e.g. lake or spring, not creek or river; when symptoms appear e.g. diarrhea or dried up salivary glands. It is suspended from a tree by string; hung on limb that hangs furthest out over
Department:
Native California (archaeology and ethnology)
Dimensions:
length 8 centimeters
Comment:
e.g. if menstruating woman, who must avoid all bodies of water, broke this taboo. Quiz of patient to determine cause of illness always done indirectly, always started after charmstone moves, never before. 1-157472-157500 and 1-157713-16 comprise outfit of Thomas Smith. Outfit was family heirloom. See accession envelope for additional information. Archeological.