Accession Number

Cultural Group

Material

Process

Region

Field Collector

Acquired

PRM Source

Dimension

Keyword

Class

Description

Model of a carved and painted wooden dagger with two bird heads facing in opposite directions and feathers on the top. [CAK 17/08/2009]

Longer Description

Model of a carved and painted wooden dagger with two bird heads facing in opposite directions and feathers on the top. At one end of the dagger is a bird's head, carved in a roughly triangular shape with the beak extending away from centre. The eyes are round, painted red and appear to have been incised using a compass. The bottom of the jaw and back of the bird's head are also painted red. A single feather has been inserted into the top of the head. The face and beak of the bird are painted black except for unpainted sections that appear to be nostrils roughly mid-way along the beak. Like the eyes, the nostrils appear to have been incised using a compass, however, they are not complete circles. The circles are interrupted by a long horizontal groove that indicates where the lower and upper beak come together. The groove is painted red. The central portion of the dagger is thin, round, smoothly carved and unpainted. At the other end is a second, triangular-shared bird's head, facing in the opposite direction. The bottom jaw and back of the head are painted red. The main part of the head is unpainted, but decorated with round red eyes (again, apparently incised with the help of a compass), a pencil line drawn around the eye, and a red half-moon shape in front of the eyes. The beak is painted black except for similar nostril designs and red groove where the lower and upper beak meet. There is a taller feather inserted into the top of this bird's head. [CAK 06/04/2010]

Publications History

Referred to 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 object was viewed alongside other shamanic material on Friday Sept 11, 2009. No information from delegates was recorded about this object. It was noted however that shamanic material should not be on display. [CAK 06/04/2010]

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 (for 1891.49.19 and .20): 'From Rev. Ch. Harrison, 80 Halton Rd, Canonbury Sq. N. Collection of Haida objects collected by him.... - 2 [models of] ceremonial daggers. £45. [Purchase price includes 1891.49.1-110]

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

Old Pitt Rivers Museum display label [relating to either 1891.49.19 or 1891.49.20] [now in Related Documents File] - CANADA, QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS, HAIDA. Model of double dagger used by medicine man when casting out evil spirits from the sick. Made by Dr. Kootay. Purch. from C. Harrison, 1891. [MdeA 11/12/2007]

Written on object - model of double dagger used by medicine man in casting out evil spirits from the sick: made by Dr Kootay. C. Harrison coll. (MS No. 14) Purchased 1891. [NM 12 11 1996]

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]