This [E73333-1] is the smaller wooden cradleboard with plaster baby head, described on the catalog card for 73,333-B. It is distinguishable from the others by the nail in the baby's bottom lip and the carved wood "cords" across the body. The "Northwest Coast" attribution is from unknown source. See catalog cards for discussion of the history of these objects. Note: This object also at one time appears to have been called # 73311B, as the description and drawing on the catalogue card for that number appear to match this object.

From card: "Claws removed."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 42, 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."

It appears to depict a pregnant woman preparing to give birth.

FROM CARD: "56458-9. 5 SPECIMENS - 25 CTS. EACH. 56459 - ROCKY MT. GOAT. " NOTE THAT NEITHER PEOPLE NOR LOCALITY IS IDENTIFIED FOR THIS OBJECT IN SWAN'S HANDWRITTEN LIST IN ACCESSION RECORD OR IN LEDGER BOOK. CATALOGUE CARD LISTS SITKA, ALASKA AS LOCALITY. SOURCE OF THIS IS UNKNOWN, UNLESS IT WAS ASSUMED THAT LOCALITY FOR THIS OBJECT WAS THE SAME AS 56456. SEE LEDGER BOOK. - F. PICKERING 6-25-1999

Listed on page 49 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: "OCTOPUS BAG, VERY SIMILAR TO ONE IN PORTLAND ART MUSEUM (#48-3-817), CALLED TLINGIT, RECEIVED 1934 FROM WINTER AND FORD (LONG-TIME PHOTOGRAPHERS IN TLINGIT AREA). -- KATE DUNCAN 3/18/1979."Source of the information below: Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Alaska Native Collections: Sharing Knowledge website, by Aron Crowell, entry on this artifact http://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=51, retrieved 3-31-2012: Octopus Bag, Tlingit, Southeast Alaska.See Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Alaska Native Collections: Sharing Knowledge website, by Aron Crowell, entry on a different Tlingit octopus bag which in the collections of the National Museum of the American Indian http://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=478, retrieved 2-13-2022. It has this information on octopus bags: Beaded octopus or "devilfish" bags, named for their eight dangling arms, are traditional and contemporary dance regalia, worn by both men and women. ... Octopus bags may have been adopted from Athabascan neighbors but were probably invented by Algonkian or Salish-speaking peoples of Canada, where these bags are also well known. "We always called it "finger bag" and it's true, the real name is "devil fish or octopus finger bag." And it was not only used by a man. In the olden days they put their valuables in there like a necklace or a bracelet; whatever is valuable to them, they have it in there." - Anna Katzeek, 2005Florence Sheakley, elder and beader, made the following comments during the Tlingit Recovering Voices Community Research Visit, March 13-March 24, 2017. This bag would have taken a long time to make based on how close the beads are to one another. The blue beads on the tassels of this object would have come from trade with Russia. This bag also has double toes, and was made with two needles whereas beaders today usually only use one.

From card: "Bird cage, twined."