CARVED OF MOUNTAIN SHEEP HORN (ACCORDING TO R. LINTON, 1953). CARVED HANDLE (BIRD AND HUMAN HEAD). CRACK ON BOTTOM.

From card: "Illus. in USNM AR, 1888, Pl. 15, fig. 52, p. 270, also in USNM AR, 1893; Pl. 16, fig. 1; p. 642." From late 19th or early 20th century exhibit label with card: "Jerkin. - Made of two thicknesses of moose hide, and worn under the armor as an additional protection to the body. It has an opening at the neck and an arm-hole on the left side; the right side being left open to facilitate the putting on of the garment, after which it is secured to the person by means of toggles and straps. Tlinkit Indians ... , Alaska. Loaned by Max. B. Richardson."The accession card for E130587 - 130590 states: "One trunk of Indian clothing." The items were accessioned as a loan. The loan accession file contains correspondence and memoranda pertaining to the loan. In a letter dated Oswego, New York, September 24, 1888, Max B. Richardson, writes: "A few years ago, while on the Pacific Coast in Oregon, I obtained, among other things, from a fur trader, some curious articles of clothing, made apparently from the skins of the Sea Lion or Walrus. These garments are cut from the same pattern. they have an opening at the top for the head, and an arm-hole for the left arm, and are open at the right side. One of them is padded in front and is more than one inch in thickness, was apparently used as armor. One of them is decorated with Totemistic designs and another one was trimmed with the toes of the Mountain Sheep, with rows of Bear's teeth across the breast, and rows of copper bell-shaped ornaments across the bottom. I have never seen anything like these garments in any collection. I think they were procured by an Agent of the Southwest Trading Company from some Indian belonging to the Aleutian Islands." In a letter dated December 10, 1888, Max B. Richardson furnishes descriptions of the items sent and writes: "The article marked No. 2 was a coat of a chief who doubtless lived in Alaska or upon one of the Aleutian Islands adjacent thereto...The coat No. 1 was a very striking garment when I first saw it...The party of whom I purchased these goods would not sell No. 1 unless I allowed him to remove all the bear's teeth as he wished to use them, and appeared to value them very highly. I had to allow him to cut them off in order to get the garment at all. I am ashamed to say I removed the rest of the ornaments which I have preserved. One of the bear's teeth was carved to represent an eagle. I saved this piece of carving."

FROM CARD: "IMITATED IN STRAW PLAIT. 2/13/67 - 2 LOCATED MARKED A & B."

From card: "Willow hoops probably part of a headdress."

FROM CARD: "CARVED WITH HERALDIC DEVICES."List in accession record identifies as "#62 - 2 pieces of leather, carved in heraldic designs, from Koutznow Indians, Admiralty Island Chatham Strait, Alaska."

FROM CARD: "COPPER." AS OF 2000, CAT. #67948 CONSISTS OF ONE TRIPLE COLUMN OF CYLINDRICAL WOVEN SPRUCE-ROOT? RINGS, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS "POTLATCH RINGS," USUALLY USED ON TOPS OF HATS. -F. PICKERING 6-14-2000Provenience 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.

From card: "Two blocks of wood, one with a boss and the other a depression. The soft horn is pressed into shape between them."Emmons letter of April 17, 1901 in the accession file, lists as being part of this accession: "1 mould for spoon bowls of horn from Chilkat." It is unclear if Emmons means Chilkat the people or Chilkat the place (i.e. Klukwan?).Listed on page 50 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 (Tools)".

FROM CARD: "TROCADERO 7-85. EXCHANGE-MISS. GRACE NICHOLSON 46 N. LOS ROBLES AVENUE, PASADENA, CALIF. JUNE 20, 1904."Teri Rofkar, Tlingit basket maker, has identified some, but not all, of these mats as of Makah manufacture, 3-2003.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".In 2023, Paz Nunez-Regueiro, Head of the Americas collection at the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac indicated they have a mat listed as old Smithsonian # 20727, Branly catalog number 71.1885.78.330. 20727 may not be the correct number. It is possible this object is actually E20728, since records indicate at least one mat from 20728 went to the Trocadero Museum in 1885.