Spirit Dance Shirt Item Number: A6887 b from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Long-sleeved, velvet shirt with interior lined with cotton. Buttons machine sewn down the centre of the front. Miniature wooden paddles (some notched and some painted red), sequins on rickrack, and beads adorn the shirt.
Cultural Context
ceremonial; winter dances
Narrative
This costume was purchased from a man from Cowichan Bay. It came to his oldest son from the boy's uncle. The pants have hardly been worn, but the short or jacket has been used for many years. The white paddles are made from the pussy willow tree and the red-tipped ones from yew. Originally the whole costume was used with a human hair headdress by a dancer with the warrior spirit. The previous owner also has the warrior spirit, but he only used the shirt and didn't use the hair headdress but a simple one of cedar bark. This costume is the older type with pants, jacket or shirt, and wool leggings. In this case the leggings are put on seperately, often they are sewn directly to the pants.
Item History
- Made in British Columbia, Canada
- Collected in Cowichan Bay, British Columbia, Canada
- Owned by Anthony Jimmy
- Owned by Robert H. Nichols before June 1958
- Received from Leon & Thea Koerner Foundation (Funding source) and Robert H. Nichols (Seller) during June 1958
What
Who
- Culture
- Coast Salish: Quwutsun'
- Previous Owner
- Anthony Jimmy and Robert H. Nichols
- Received from
- Leon & Thea Koerner Foundation (Funding source) and Robert H. Nichols (Seller)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- British Columbia, Canada
- Collected in
- Cowichan Bay, British Columbia, Canada
When
- Ownership Date
- before June 1958
- Acquisition Date
- during June 1958
Other
- Item Classes
- textiles
- Accession Number
- 2073/0008 b