Armor

Item number E168159-0 from the National Museum of Natural History.

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Notes

FROM CARD: "LEATHER. TWO THICKNESSES OF MOOSE OR ELK HIDE. TOTEM ? [crest] PAINTED INSIDE. [This text on card probably taken from USNM Annual Report, 1893; p. 642 description of plate 19, Fig 2.:] SKIN ARMOR:--MADE OF THICK TANNED ELK OR MOOSE SKIN FOLDED TWICE INTO OBLONG FORM LIKE A SHEET OF NOTE PAPER. SEWED OVER THE SHOULDERS AND STRENGTHENED INSIDE BY HINGE PIECES. OPEN ALONG RIGHT SIDE, THE EDGES CUT INTO COARSE FRINGE. A SHORT SLIT DOWN LEFT SIDE BELOW THE SHOULDER LEAVES A PASSAGE FOR THE LEFT ARM. ABOUT MIDWAY NEAR THE RIGHT SIDE IS FASTENED A WOODEN TOGGLE, BY WHICH, PROBABLY, WAS SUSPENDED THE DAGGER. THE FRONT OF THE COAT IS DISCOLORED AND DENTED AS THOUGH AN ATTEMPT HAS BEEN MADE TO RENDER THE LEATHER MORE DENSE BY HAMMERING. THE LEATHER HAS PERHAPS ALSO BEEN TREATED WITH GLUE, AS DESCRIBED BY FATHER MORICE AMONG THE TINNE [Athabaskans]. INSIDE THE ARMOR AT THE BACK IS A FINELY DRAWN AND PAINTED TOTEM [crest] IN A CIRCLE 10 1/2 INCHES IN DIAMETER. WIDTH, 26 INCHES; HEIGHT, 36 INCHES. TAKU INDIANS, SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA. ILLUS. IN USNM AR, 1893; PL. 19, FIG. 2; P. 642."There is a painted crest design, possibly raven or eagle?, on interior of armor.Similar to E168157 (see remarks for that object), this Taku Tlingit object may originate with the Taku Tlingit of the Upper Taku River area of British Columbia.