Robe Of Fur And Bark Cordage
Item number E1895-0 from the National Museum of Natural History.
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Notes
FROM CARD: "ROBE WOVEN OF STRIPS OF FUR. COMPOSED OF STRIPS OF FUR SKIN TWINED TOGETHER WITH CORDS OF CEDAR BARK FORMING A LOOSE AND FLIMSY TEXTURE WORN OVER THE SHOULDERS OR AROUND THE LOINS. WIDTH, 30", LENGTH, 41". *LABEL READS: "SALISH INDIANS, WASHINGTON; COLLECTED BY CAPT. CHARLES WILKES, U. S. NAVY."See p. 83 in Salish Weaving by Paula Gustafson, University of Washington Press, 1980. Gustafson says that the FBI did a scientific analysis of some of the hair fibers from this blanket for her, and that the analysis indicated that the hair most closely resembled that of the coyote. The Anthropology Dept. does not have a copy of this FBI analysis in its files, and Gustafson (who is now deceased), could not locate it in her files when contacted in 2005. Additional sampling/analysis was done on the hair of this blanket in 2004. The strips of skin/fur that make up this textile were identified as including both coyote and Salish wool or woolly dog (see Anthropology Conservation Lab sampling file "Loychuk 2004.").There is some question as to who the collector/donor of this artifact was. It has been possibly attributed to the Wilkes/U.S. Exploring Expedition on the catalogue card, but Jane Walsh questions that attribution. Wilkes attribution is indeed questionable, as no Peale number has yet been identified for this piece. Some other possible donors would be the National Institute or George Gibbs? Donor is blank in original Anthropology catalogue ledger book. Object was entered into the Anthropology catalogue ledger book in December 1866. Per Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa, 2023, see also list of artifacts in George Gibbs Notebooks of Scientific Observations of the Pacific Northwest. Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, WA MSS S-1810, notebook "Washington Territory Miscellaneous, Chiefly Natural History [ca. 1857]," Box 1, Folder 3, page image 41r https://collections.library.yale.edu/catalog/14462281?child_oid=14462872 and page image 63v https://collections.library.yale.edu/catalog/14462281?child_oid=14462917Reference: Solazzo, C., S. Heald, M.W. Ballard, D.A. Ashford, P.T. DePriest, R.J. Koestler, and M. Collins. 2011. Proteomics and Coast Salish blankets: A tale of shaggy dogs? Antiquity 85: 1418-1432. http://antiquity.ac.uk/ant/085/ant0851418.htm . Identified there as a fur robe - strips of Salish wool or woolly dog fur pelt held together with cedar bark cordage; alternating rows of brown and yellow to white fur; both coarse guard hair and fine under hair are present. The differing hair lengths and colors suggest that more than one dog was used in the robe's construction.
Item History
- Made in Washington, USA ?
- Collected by United States Exploring Expedition, Capt. George Gibbs, National Institute, Caleb B. Kennerly and John Varden in Washington, USA ?
- Received from Accession Number Unknown
What
- Name
- Robe Of Fur And Bark Cordage
- Identification Number
- E1895-0
- Type of Item
- blanket
Where
- Holding Institution
- National Museum of Natural History
- Made in
- Washington, USA ?
- Collected in
- Washington, USA ?
Who
- Culture
- Salish
- Field Collector
- United States Exploring Expedition, Capt. George Gibbs, National Institute, Caleb B. Kennerly and John Varden
- Received from
- Accession Number Unknown
Other
- Accession Number
- 000000
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