AS OF 2003 THERE ARE 3 BASKETS WITH THIS CATALOGUE # IN THE COLLECTIONS, ALONG WITH ET20353 & 4 WHICH FORMERLY BORE THIS #. LARGEST OF 3 WAS ILLUS. FIG. 17, P. 51 IN "SALISH BASKETS FROM THE WILKES EXPEDITION" BY CAROLYN J. MARR, AMERICAN INDIAN ART MAGAZINE, VOL. 9, NO. 3, 1984, AND ID THERE AS FLAT WRAPPED TWINED BAG WITH POCKETS ON BOTH SIDES, CLATSOP OR TILLAMOOK, WOVEN ON CONTINUOUS WARP, WITH CONTRASTING DESIGNS ON BACK. MAY HAVE BEEN USED AS A WALLET TO CARRY AND TRANSPORT PERSONAL GOODS. 23.5 CM. H,; 19.4 CM. W..1 LIGHT YELLOWISH TAN BASKET WITH LIGHT BROWN DESIGNS AND DARKER BROWN TRIANGLES AT RIM, WITH ATTACHED LOOPS ALL AROUND. THE BASKET IS BRITTLE AND LOOPS HAVE BROKEN OFF AT ONE SECTION. THE BRAID AROUND THE RIM IS OF A DIFFERENT MATERIAL THAN THE REST. HAS ORIGINAL PEALE TAG; ALSO AN ORIGINAL SHIPPING LABEL READS, "WM ROBERTS EX EX VINCENS- 1 BASKET". THIS OBJECT WAS EXCHANGED WITH THE DANISH NATIONAL MUSEUM IN 1867 AND WAS LOCATED THERE IN 1987. DANISH CATALOGUE NUMBER IS H-1383. THE BASKET HAS NO S.I. CATALOGUE NUMBER, BUT FOR THE PRESENT IS # 2708.

PART OF HARPOON STAFF?

From card: "Wooden, carved."Written in ink on back of artifact: "For holding a piece of sewing Aleute women from Mr. Rankin Unalaska 1897."

HAS ORIGINAL PEALE TAG GLUED ON, NO. 395. WRITTEN ON ONE DENTALIUM SHELL: "CLASSET MR. CALE [HALE?] EX EX".From 19th or early 20th century exhibit label stored with card: "Head-dress - Thirteen strings of shells, Dentalium indianorum, rove through strips of leather 2 ins. long, to preserve band shape. At opposite sides are fastened the ends of a pendant chin-strap made of strings of same shell. Length, 18 ins. Width, 2 ins. N.W. Coast of N. America, 1841, U.S. Explor. Expedition, Capt. Chas. Wilkes, U.S.N."

From card: "[front] Represents an eagle in low relief, surrounded by lettering as on a coin." Object was broken at the time it was catalogued and was subsequently repaired. Object has been attributed as possibly Haida? An argillite plate or dish with incised and carved relief decoration. Eagle design on front may be based on Heraldic eagle from reverse of a U.S. silver half dollar coin, probably from a "Seated Liberty" half dollar? Lettering on front, not all of which seems meaningful (and some letters are reversed or upside down), includes OHAFDOL below the eagle (for half dollar?), and SANFRANCISCO above the eagle. Note that many Seated Liberty half dollar coins from the New Orleans mint had an O under the eagle design on the reverse side, and said HALF DOL. below that; the New Orleans Mint (established 1838) began producing Seated Liberty half dollar coins in 1840. Back of object has compass/floral and leaf decoration, with cross-hatching. - F. Pickering 3-25-2009