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Description

Amulet consisting of a boar's tusk [.3] with two long thin pieces of bone [.1-.2] strung together. [CAK 27/05/2009]

Longer Description

Amulet consisting of a boar's tusk [.3] with two long thin pieces of bone [.1-.2] strung together. The long thin bones pieces are perforated at one end. [.1] has a greater diameter than [.2]. [.1] is slightly thicker and squared on one end, and thinner and rounded at its other end. The boar's tusk [.3] is hollow and perforated at the end where the root would have attached. The tusk is crescent-shaped and three-sided. [CAK 07/07/2009]

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

1891.49.117 .1 and .2 are very similar to those objects collected by Capt Pike from a shaman's grave in Skidegate. Given the potential shamanic associations of these objects (Harrison also had a close relationship with the Massett shaman K'udee or Kootay) it is possible that they were worn through the septum of the nose, a practice of shamans commonly depicted in Haida carvings. [CAK 27/05/2009]

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 amulet was viewed alongside shamanic objects on Friday Sept 11, 2009. Christian White identified the material as wild pig tusk, which would have been traded for as wild pigs are not native to Haida Gwaii. See also the entries for 1891.49.110 and 1891.49.118 .1-.3 [CAK 31/03/2010]

Primary Documentation

Accession book entry: 'From Rev. Ch. Harrison, 80 Halton Rd, Canonbury Sq. N. Collection of Haida objects collected by him.... - 117-118 Found unentered: 2 charms consisting of one large tooth (boar's tusk ?) and two long thin bone pieces all attached by a leather cord.

No catalogue cards have been found. [JC 12 11 1996]

Written on object [.1-.3] - HAIDA. C. HARRISON COLLN. Purchased 1891. [El.B 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 20/9/2005]

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]

Item History

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