FOOD DISH COVER, NORTHERN NWC POSSIBLY HAIDA, PLAITED CEDAR BARK BASKET. (NOTE BY DR. LAFORET, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MAN.)

FROM CARD: "ILLUS. IN USNM AR, 1888 PL. 47, FIG. 265, P. 322, ALSO PL. 48, FIG. 270. (DUPLICATE CARD. COPIED FROM CATALOG BOOK) LABEL: "HAIDA INDIANS, BRITISH COLUMBIA." 4/18/67: LOANED TO VANCOUVER ART GALL.12/13/67 RETURNED BY VANCOUVER. [back of card] LOANED TO S.I. CENTENNIAL COMM. 7-9-75. LOAN RETURNED AUG. 3, 1988. LENT TO CANADIAN EMBASSY, NOV. 19, 1991. LOAN RETURNED NOV. 20, 1991."This appears to be the pipe illustrated in the center on p. 155 of Vol. 5 of Charles Wilkes, 1798-1877, Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition. During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842., 1845 edition, Philadelphia. Printed from original "official" 1844 Philadelphia publication plates ed., 5 vols. (Philadephia: Lea and Blanchard, 1845).Argillite pipe carved with both animal and human figures. Rectangular in shape with rounded corners. The two central figures are a raven and a bear with their beak and mouth joining. The bear has a salmon in its paws. On the back of the bear and raven is a killer whale. The bowl for the pipe is the raven's head and the mouth piece in the killer whale's blow hole. On the bottom of the pipe are human figures. Linear manufacture marks are noted overall.Provenience note, in 1841 Oregon Territory encompassed the land from Russian Alaska to Spanish California and from the Pacific to the Continental Divide. The U.S. Exploring Expedition did not go to Canada, but did reach Oregon Territory in 1841, and carried out a hydrographic survey of the Columbia River from its mouth to the Cascades, as well as doing some surveying inland.They had dealings with Hudson's Bay Company staff during that time, and it is probable that the HBC is the source of a number of the Northwest Coast artifacts collected by the expedition. This object has been attributed as possibly Haida, based on its being made of argillite.

FROM CARD: "FOR TRAVELING, FISHING ETC. WITH MASTS & PUSHING STICKS."

Listed on page 44 in "The Exhibits of the Smithsonian Institution at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, California, 1915", in section "Arts of the Northwest Coast Tribes".

From card: "Design: "Hoonyeh" the raven, its body hollowed to form the body of the rattle. On its breast is the conventional head of "Skamson" the sparrow hawk, on its back the prostrate form of "Ka-ka-tete" the whistling demon. The tail of the raven turns up forming the head of a king fisher, its beak plucking out the tongue of the demon. Carved by Ellsworth [a.k.a. Ellswarsh] a Skiddegate carver."Per the entry on E89186 in the website http://alaska.si.edu/, Ellsworth or Ellswarsh may refer to Daniel Eldjiwus [a.k.a. Daniel Elljuuwas], a chief and builder of the House of Contentment at Skidegate.

From card: "Taski: a wand of office held in the hand of a chief when giving presents at a feast. When the name of the recipient is called the Taski is thumped down to give emphasis to the word. Emblems: The Beaver "Tsing" wiht the Tadn skillik or hat of rank surmounted by the Eagle Koot. 1/28/1942. Ceremonial wand of shaman in medicine dances Illus. in USNM AR, 1888, Pl. XVI, fig. 54, p. 270. Loaned to the National Gallery of Art October 20, 1972. Returned 5-29-73. Illus. in The Far North catalog, Nat. Gall. of Art, 1973, p. 273. Illus.: Hndbk. N. Amer. Ind., Vol. 7, Northwest Coast, Fig. 14 left, pg. 253."Handbook of North American Indians photo caption identifies as: Ceremonial staff. Wand of office held by a chief when giving out gifts at the potlatch. When a recipient was named, the staff was thumped on the floor boards. At top is a beaver crest; at bottom, an eagle. Collected by J.G. Swan at Skidegate, B.C., 1883; length 122.6 cm.The emblem descrption on the cat card is actually describing E89098 and copied over from that card.

From card: "Carved with totemic designs on inner surface, plain on outer; cracked and mended."