Large Carved Wooden Column

Item number E89094-0 from the National Museum of Natural History.

Public

Item Records

This page shows all the information we have about this item. Both the institution that physically holds this item, and RRN members have contributed the knowledge on this page. You’re looking at the item record provided by the holding institution. If you scroll further down the page, you’ll see the information from RRN members, and can share your own knowledge too.

The RRN processes the information it receives from each institution to make it more readable and easier to search. If you’re doing in-depth research on this item, be sure to take a look at the Data Source tab to see the information exactly as it was provided by the institution.

These records are easy to share because each has a unique web address. You can copy and paste the location from your browser’s address bar into an email, word document, or chat message to share this item with others.

Data
Data Source

This information was automatically generated from data provided by National Museum of Natural History. It has been standardized to aid in finding and grouping information within the RRN. Accuracy and meaning should be verified from the Data Source tab.

Notes

This may be the column described by Swan in his diary entry for Sept. 9, 1883 while Swan stayed in the house of Capt. Skedans at Koona. He wrote "Johnny [Kit Elswa] employed carving a slate stone column and young Kitkun at work carving a wooden column 5 feet long which he holds in his lap and uses chisels and knives cutting towards himself. Both the young men are good carvers." In the accession file for 013804 Swan lists this item as "110 1 large wooden column carved by Kitkune chief of Laskeek. This carving represents the Hooyah or crow in two shapes. The lower one is the crow and halibut. The middle one is Jtltadsda [sp.?], the crows mother, and the upper is the Skamsom or Sparrow hawk."In Swan's second Diary for Sept 9, 1883, he wrote about it saying "Young Kitkun at work carving woden column. 4 feet long. Works with chisels. Holds stick in his lap and cuts towards himself." https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/pioneerlife/id/21191/rec/103 On Sept 14, 1883 Swan wrote in his diary "Last evening I baught of Young Kitkun a wooden carving 4 ft 3 in long representing a totemic column. Paid him $13.00. Oiled it today with boiled linseed oil. https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/pioneerlife/id/21191/rec/103