The object is a bent-corner, box-shaped feast bowl having a bear's face with protruding tongue on one end and its tail on the other. The second face on the bear's tail is a visual pun. The object is in fair and stable condition. Although the wood appears to be extruding oil in some areas more than others, the wood is stable. There are several minor cracks on two of the sides of the bowl which are stable. Previous repairs to the side corners remain secure. The join on through the large face where a break was repaired appears firm and stable. According to Robin Wright, Burke Museum, April 16, 2003, this is not Haida because the eye socket lines run right out to the lips of the bear, which is distinctively Tlingit. She added that if the Tlingit still owned the piece, they would have cleaned up the oil and darkened color.

The paint is red and black.

FROM CARD: "[Only] ONE HALF SHOWN IN [Anthropology catalogue ledger book] DRAWING."Object has rows of fringe, and painted red and black formline design panels on two borders. Cylindrical red beads on ends of some of fringes.Provenience note: Anthropology catalogue ledger book lists a locality of Alaska for E67931 - 68019. Catalogue cards list a locality of Sitka. Alaska. It is unclear which is correct, though it is probable that the collection was purchased in Sitka.Florence Sheakley and Shirley Kendall, both Tlingit elders, made the following commentsduring the Tlingit Recovering Voices Community Research Visit, March 13-March 24, 2017. This object is a cape that comes from Kagwaantan clan and has an identical wolf crest design on both ends.

FROM CARD: "PLAIN WEAVING."

FROM CARD: "ILLUS. IN USNM AR, 1894; PL. 14; P. 394." FROM 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY EXHIBIT LABEL WITH CARD: "SNOW-SHOES.---FRAME OF WOOD; ROUNDING TOE, STRONGLY CURVED UP; LONG POINTED HEEL. TOE AND HEEL NETTING CLOSE AND FINE, MADE OF LINES OF PREPARED DEER SKIN, OR BABICHE; FOOT NETTING COARSE, STRONG MAHOUT, ROVE THROUGH FRAME. PAINTED AND ORNAMENTED WITH BEADS. LOOPS FOR FASTENING THE SHOE TO THE FOOT. THESE SHOES WERE NOT MADE TO BE WORN INTERCHANGEABLY ON RIGHT AND LEFT FOOT, THERE BEING A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE IN THE SHAPE OF THE TWO FRAMES. LENGTH, 49 INCHES; GREATEST WIDTH, 11 3/4 INCHES. SITKA, ALASKA, 1882. 63,558. COLLECTED BY JOHN J. MCLEAN. WORN BY THE TINNE INDIANS (ATHAPASCAN STOCK) AND BROUGHT TO SITKA IN TRADE. NEG. NO. 5521."

FROM CARD: "THE INDIAN, SITKA JACK, CHIEF SENT THESE AS HIS OWN GIFT TO THE MUSEUM. (NATIONAL)."In Dall's field catalogue, filed under Accession No. 3258, entry under # 617, these objects are described as "Bone armlets, Tinneh natives of Upper Chilkaht R. (Presented to the S.I. by Sitka Jack, Indian Chief + interpreter, Sitka.)" Note that there is also an entry recorded under accession number 5273 for the year 1876 that may refer to these objects? It records a donation of Chilcat bone armlets from Sitka Jack. Sitka Jack may be this man?: Khaltseixh (Sitka Jack) (1836-1916), Tlingit L'uknax.ádi clan house leader and Indian policeman.Illus. Fig. 256 p. 250 in Van Kampen, Ukjese. 2012. The History of Yukon First Nations Art, Phd dissertation, Leiden University. https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/handle/1887/18984 . Van Kampen identifies as probably Southern Tutchone.

FROM CARD: "*DOUBLE ENTRY UNDER CAT. #583."

FROM CARD: "ILLUS. IN USNM REPT, 1902; PL. 129; P. 548. *DOUBLE ENTRY UNDER CAT. #636."