At either side of this bunch of owl feathers are one or two pairs of triple pronged ceremonial hairpins. Wire is used as their base as the desired effect is to make them tremble as the dancer moves.

Anonymous loan

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.

Collection of Christopher B. Martin

This skirt would be worn wrapped from back around the sides. The open front would then be covered by a fringed apron. This skirt shows signs of much wear. Most of the materials it is made from are from local sources with the exception of two copper discs, shaped and cut like the abalone. All the ornaments in addition to being aesthetically pleasing would make a sound as the woman moved in the dance. A small blue bead is fastened in the fringe.

This is a wooden figure with only a body, shoulders and head. It has a rectangular torso, round head set on a narrow neck and V-shaped shoulders. It wears a beaded necklace and earrings. The eyes are two small slits. Two thirds of the face is lightly painted, the remainder dark. The torso has two vertical stripes. Although the description says with small bird, none is present.

This sculpture is painted wood with a beaded necklace and small abalone shell pendant. Although title says with bird, none is present.

Collector Dr. Newcomb supplied Brooklyn Museum's curator, Dr. Stewart Culin with several gambling sets. There are few descriptions of how this gambling set would have been played so Dr. Newcomb’s notes are quite valuable. "When bundle of sticks is indicated as holding the trump, the sticks are thrown down on the sloping exterior of the mat one by one, thus showing the content of his hand." These were reported to belong to Chief Shakes. Despite their perfection they were made with no machine tools. Nine of them have abalone shell inlaid whose game function is unknown, the rest are painted. The hide bag container for the sticks was made from an older object, perhaps a tunic or hide armor. The design is hard to make out but might be part of a face. According to Newcombe the painted mat has a design of a killer whale, identifiable by its blow hole and flukes. The panting style is similar to that of Heiltsuk artists, found near Kikatla. Gambling mat is 05.588.7249.

Large carved handle spoon. Figures on handle have inset abalone shell eyes.

The object is also referred to as a war club. Its head is a large elongated rectangular stone that is inserted into a carved wooden handle. The handle has three faces, one on the top and the second and third on either side of the ax head. These faces have three rows of hair in small "ponytails" protruding from the ridge above the eyebrows. One of the hair "ponytails" has been cut off, leaving a stump of frayed hair sticking up on the proper left top side of the face. The underside of the handle has a carved seal and midway along the handle is a filled break. The object is painted black with white and red accents. There are inlayed areas of abalone shell around the base of the handle, the sides of the head, and in the eyes and teeth of the faces. The only missing shell inlay is from the base of the handle. The overall condition of the piece is fair and stable. According to Robin K. Wright, Burke Museum, 4/16/03, the face looks more Bella Bella (Heiltsuk).