Openwork basket with fret work around the center and arrow forms around the base.

Headdress frontlet with a wooden bear crest, set within a frame, and painted red, green, and black. The back is unpainted. The frame as well as the bear's eyes, teeth, and paws have inlaid sections of carved abalone shell. Long ermine trailers hang down the back and sea lion whiskers stick out from the top. The headdress would have been worn for a Welcome or Peace Dance. The face's thick, heavy, black eyebrows help to corroborate this attribution. A fistful of eagle down feathers would be placed inside the center of the frontlet. As the chief danced and bowed and greeted his audience, the feathers would float out of his headdress symbolizing peace and friendship. In Tshimshian this was known as Am-halait or "power from the Sky." CONDITION: The object is in fair and stable condition. Special care in handling the piece should be taken for it was treated with arsenic in the past.

Frank L. Babbott Fund

Twined cylindrical basket with false embroidery tightly woven into a fret and arrow design in red and ivory . Examined by Deborah Head, a Tlingit/Haida basket maker on 6/17/09, who mentioned that this basket has a different type of border and is important for that reason. She also said that the medium is spruce root. Condition: good.

This blanket is very early and possibly Tshimshin in origin. Ceremonial blanket with black, blue, yellow and white design probably the "Diving Whale." The head of the whale with his nostrils is at the bottom, the center face is his body with his 'spirit' inside it, the tail flukes are spread out on lower section also with eyes inside. The front flukes flank the head.The side panels (not shown in photograph) are probably a young raven. Although very worn this is a very finely woven, old robe with no commercial elements in it. There is an artist signature in the weaving by the side fringe. This is possibly the same robe depicted in G.T Emmons, "The Chilkat Blanket," AMNH Memoirs, Vo. 111. part 1V, fig. 568B. Source for design and weaving information, Cheryl Samuels, "The Chilkat Blanket," Pacific Search Press, Seattle, 1982. See also her dedication page where signature of weaver is given , appears to be the same as this blanket.

One of two canoe paddles carved in light, soft wood stained brown. On each paddle there is the Northwest Coast form-line style with salmon design , frontal view with an eye in the center of the design. The handles are undecorated. Old acession number #17, 695. Condition: good except for tip of paddle .1 is broken off.

Northwest coast Chilkat blanket, two piled yarn of wool fiber and cedar bark. Trapezoid-like shape, side edges of beige weft-faced voven, possibly weft-twined. Upper and lower edges also beige in weft-faced plain weave. Broad bands of medium brown and yellow weft-faced plain weave enclose central dark brown field. Various geometric, stylized face and eye motifs in interlocking and slit tapestry techniques in beige, light yellow, olive green and dark brown on this dark brown field. Long fringes extend from lower edge, where wool yarn covering has worn away to show cedar bark interior in places. The design is the "Diving Whale" design with the head of whale located at bottom near the fringe, tail flukes near the top, side flukes near the head, all with eyes inside. The center body is indicated with a face representing the spitit of the animal. The whale is flaked by young raven designs. Weaving is thought to be problematical and the artist took many innovative liberties. Might not have had enough brown wool so did some basket twining technigues along the top and outlining areas such as the eyes. In one area near trout eyes at the botom weaver had to change brown to another shade and then finaly to green as not enough wool. Very loosely woven over all. Either has two different artist's signatures or again the artist didn't have enough dark brown to even complete the signature.

This woven teapot is missing the knob from it's lid. It is an excelent example of the creativity of weavers early in the 20th century to make objects aimed at a tourist and collectors' market as the teapot was made to appeal to non-Native buyers.

Made entirely from trade materials, these distinctive cloth pouches were accessories for ceremonial clothing. They were called octopus bags because of their tentacle-like fringes. Some of the Tlingit designs may have been influenced by proximity to the Athabascan groups to the east. The reverse of the bag is plain.The pouch has four double fringe "arms" and a black wool strap.

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.