This is a conical type wooden hat with a separate piece of a sculpted man wearing a status hat inserted into the front. The figure has an open mouth with white teeth. The underside of the "hat" is actually not hollowed out so it could not be worn down over the head but it could have been perched on top or only used as a sculptural piece.

A long, thin, argillite pipe with elaborately carved figures and rarely found tracings of pigments-yellow, blue, and red. The object is in fair condition. A 1938 conservation record indicates that the pipe stem was broken and repaired with iron rods and other materials. This will be reversed by Conservation. Peter NcNair 3/29/2005 said that the earliest argillite pipes were stubby. He said that 'Panel pipes' began to appear in the late 1820s-1830s and were never intended to be smoked. Peter added that he has never seen any with residue indicating use, although it was physically possible to smoke them. Red vermillon used on the pipes came from China via Americans in the Sea Otter fur trade business. Red, blue, and yellow pigments were used to outline the carved forms. Peter comments: "Absolutely unique. I've seen them with red, but never with blue or yellow."

Museum Expedition 1905, Museum Collection Fund

The exact use of this staff is unknown. It was possibly used as a shaman's curing staff. It depicts a raven with a long beak and flattened wings along the side. (Photograph does not show the body or the long staff itself). Most of the greenish paint has come off.

Museum Expedition 1905, Museum Collection Fund

An argillite carving of a bird on its back surmounted by three seated figures. It is stable and in good condition. The toes on the rear sitting figure seem to be intentionally undefined. The long hair on the front figure suggests that he is a Shaman. The 'pin dots' in the centers of the eyes on the boat show the carver used a compass to create the circular forms and if so this is unusual. The piece shows great action and movement and it thought to be one of the great argillite pieces by most scholars.

This deeply carved mask is painted with brown, red, green and white. It has painted eyebrows and teeth. The jaw is loose and could be manipulated in a dance performance to indicate a talking mask. This mask is identified as representing an orator, the individual who would recount the histories that were dramatized by Winter Dance performers. The lower jaw, articulated to produce a more lifelike effect, would be moved to imitate the actions of the performer as he spoke. These types of masks were once common among many Northwest Coast tribes and each had their own stories to tell. The deeply carved and exaggerated features of this image are more typical of Heiltsuk that Haida style but the mask could have come from either nation. The otherworldly appearance of the mask would have been attenuated by the flickering light and shadows of the fire lit performance.

Gift of Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos

Cedar wood, unpainted. Rear, hollow concavity. Original pole cut in half. Top half (a): Design - plain, tapering cylinder at top, two main figures and part of a third. Upper figure - raven with two subsidiary motifs (crescent across chest and upper wings, a small head and hands peering over the crescent). Raven beak, separate piece of wood. Lower figure - top half of a humanoid with large head above upturned flukes which are grasped in its hands. Fragment of third figure - upturned flukes (whale-like, cut off at tail). Bottom half (b): Design - upside-down humanoid, large animal (bear?) holding a small creature (frog?) to its mouth. CONDITION: Pole cut in two, evidently before arrival at the Museum.

Mask in the form of an animal, possibly a wolf, dog or bear, with separate pointed ear attachments (the proper left ear has a section missing) and a protruding snout. It is painted with black, red, and white pigments. Under the chin is a white leather tassel that is secured by a knot inside. On both sides of the mask are holes, probably for wearer to secure object. There are two holes in the eyes and nose. The mouth is partially open revealing two sets of sharp teeth towards the front. The object is in fair and stable condition. There are nine reattached fragments along the proper left edge as well as two reattached fragments at the top of the head. There are indications of old insect damage and loss of wood around the mask's edges and base. The leather tassel is dry. Note: although this photogrpah show the mask as 'blue' the paint has darkened to where it looks black. Would be a good conservation example to clean.