Exhibit Label

The crests of Tlingit noble families and those of other northern Northwest Coast tribes are usually graphic representations of the creatures with which the ancestors interacted in the distant past. Perhaps the most important of these rare treasures is the Grizzly Bear mask of the Nanyaayi clan of the Stikine Wolf phratry. The Bear mask and skin costume were considered the clan's most noble relics and always were given a prominent place in the funeral displays of each succeeding holder of the Shakes title. The whole costume was worn on important potlatch occasions and at times, apparently, for pure entertainment. (Holm, Spirit and Ancestor, 1987)