CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ETHNOLOGY OF THE HAIDA [OF QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS]. SWANTON, JOHN R. MEMOIRS, 8, 1905

item is from the Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection

Item purchased at Stevens Auction Rooms sale 15 August 1933

A small argillite pipe carved into the shape of a whale. The head is large with a long, closed mouth, rounded snout, and large eyes. Atop the head is the round pipe bowl. Arms extend from the back of the head, bending around the decorated, square torso. Hands grip the base of the tail, which curves up the rear of the pipe to the top, where another set of hands grip the fluke which sits just behind the tobacco chamber. A small hole is bored into the tail at the back, where another part was likely inserted at one time. There are some veins of white visible in the argillite.

Hand-carved silver bracelet with clasp. Bear motif, with bear’s lower part of mouth running off the edge of the bracelet. The inside of the bracelet shows numerous old repairs in the metal.

Long, rectangular, scoop-shaped utensil, possibly a canoe bailer, carved from a single piece of wood. Unpainted and undecorated, with a squared hollow carved out of the centre making three short upright walls with one end open. Old nail holes can be seen along the edges of the open end. The object is slightly curved with a rounded base.

Silver clasp bracelet with split image engraved design of a mountain goat extending to edges, with cross-hatched ground. The goat's face covers the centre front with a mirrored body design extending toward each end. The design of the goat includes short pointed horns over its eyes, a grinning mouth with teeth showing, and cloven hooves at the end of each bent front and back leg. Unsigned.

Oval, black-grey carved argillite platter. Engraved image of a Wasgo (sea wolf) type creature covers the upper surface; the creature has a whale's dorsal and pectoral fin and tail, but also has arms and legs with long claws on the ends. The edge of the platter has an engraved rope-like border decoration.