Ceremonial Staff

Item number E89099-0 from the National Museum of Natural History.

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Notes

From card: "Taski: a wand of office held in the hand of a chief when giving presents at a feast. When the name of the recipient is called the Taski is thumped down to give emphasis to the word. Emblems: The Beaver "Tsing" wiht the Tadn skillik or hat of rank surmounted by the Eagle Koot. 1/28/1942. Ceremonial wand of shaman in medicine dances Illus. in USNM AR, 1888, Pl. XVI, fig. 54, p. 270. Loaned to the National Gallery of Art October 20, 1972. Returned 5-29-73. Illus. in The Far North catalog, Nat. Gall. of Art, 1973, p. 273. Illus.: Hndbk. N. Amer. Ind., Vol. 7, Northwest Coast, Fig. 14 left, pg. 253."Handbook of North American Indians photo caption identifies as: Ceremonial staff. Wand of office held by a chief when giving out gifts at the potlatch. When a recipient was named, the staff was thumped on the floor boards. At top is a beaver crest; at bottom, an eagle. Collected by J.G. Swan at Skidegate, B.C., 1883; length 122.6 cm.The emblem descrption on the cat card is actually describing E89098 and copied over from that card.