Neck Ornament

Item number 1891.49.33 from the Pitt Rivers Museum.

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Description

'Medicine man's' necklet of thirteen carved ivory pieces, two of which are carved in animal form.

Longer Description

Necklace. Medicine man's necklet of thirteen carved ivory pieces, two of which are carved in animal form. Seven of the ivory pieces have been restrung to the necklet using modern white cotton string. The remaining charms are hung by thin strips of leather. The necklet is constructed of a U-shaped piece of wood which has been bound by thin strips of leather and a fibrous cord. The ends of the necklet are decorated with white feathers. [NM 14 1 1997]

Publications History

Referred to ('a shaman's untidy necklace of bones') on p. 8 of 'Haida Art in the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, and the Rev. Charles Harrison', by June Bedford, in European Review of Native American Studies, Vol. XII, no. 2 (1998), pp. 1-10. [JC 16 4 1999]

Research Notes

The following information comes from Haida delegates who worked with the museum's collection in September 2009 as part of the project “Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge”:
This necklace was viewed alongside other shamanic objects on Friday Sept 11, 2009. Christian White identified the materials as a cedar wood base (perhaps from a cedar branch) bound with leather. He thought one of the pendants could be a heron figure. [Cara Krmpotich note: this is likely the pendant second from the end, incised with an eye design and a line to delineate the lower beak from the upper beak.] Delegates requested shamanic material not be on display. [CAK 08/04/2010]

This object was viewed and confirmed as Haida by tribal members Vincent Collison, Lucille Bell, and Kwiiawah Jones on 7 September 2007 in preparation for a planned Haida community visit to PRM in 2009 [L Peers, 24/01/2008]

Primary Documentation

Accession book entry: 'From Rev. Ch. Harrison, 80 Halton Rd, Canonbury Sq. N. Collection of Haida objects collected by him.... - Necklet of carved ivory pieces.£45 [Purchases price includes 1891.49.1-110]

No additional information on catalogue cards. [JC 4 9 1996]

Pitt Rivers Museum Display label - Necklet worn by medicine man when curing disease by incantations &c. One or more of the pendant amulets are afterwards given to patient or sold to others as protection against disease. (Harrison coll Purch. '91. HAIDA, Q. CHARLOTTE ID. [MJD 17/08/2009]

Written on object - HAIDA C. Harrison Coll. Purch. 1891. [MJD 17/08/2009]

Written on object - Medicine man's necklet HAIDA C. Harrison Coll. Purchased. 1891. [MJD 17/08/2009]

Related Documents File - The Haida Project Related Documents File contains video of research sessions and interviews with Haida delegates from September 2009 as part of the project ‘Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge'. It also includes post-visit communications that discuss object provenance. For extensive photographic, video, and textual records documenting the Haida research visit as a whole, including but not limited to preparations of objects for handling, travel logistics, British Museum participation, transcribed notes from research sessions and associated public events held at PRM, see the Haida Project Digital Archive, stored with the Accessions Registers. Original hand-written notes taken during research sessions have been accessioned into the Manuscripts collection, in addition to select other materials. [CAK 02/06/2010]