DiRi15 House 11 Samples contains roll

22S, 53E, 42.0BD

Bark cloth body mask; conical shape top with long raffia fringe hanging from circumference of wide end. Tubular extensions out each side from midway of conical top. Each tubular "arm" has rigid circular shaped opening with a small bunch of short raffia fringe attached at lower edge. Geometric painted design around conical "body", with a linear depiction of a face on the front side of the rounded top portion; designs done golden brown with black highlights. Additional raffia fringe and fibre loops attached to top centre of "head".

Child size birchbark canoe. Wood frame, with lengthwise wood slat construction; sheets of birchbark stitched together using long strips of root. Black resin applied along base and seams.

Cedar bark basket with no seams (sides have collapsed). Inside the basket were found fragmented strands of dentalium shell, blue beads, and bark (now grouped as part b); and a large quantity of loose dentalium shells and fragments (now grouped as part c).

Off-white woven goat wool blanket with herringbone twill weave and dark red trade cloth woven in along the top edge. Feathers and cedar bark are included in the weave. Fringe along one side.

Dome-shaped plant fibre mask. A cylindrical protrusion extends from top centre of mask, tapering to a thin woven tail; long pieces of braided fringe hang from bottom edge. Sides of mask are covered with nine woven bands, made up of different patterns. From top to bottom, designs are: plain brown, alternating black and natural, alternating brown and grey-brown, plain natural, alternating brown and grey-brown, alternating black and natural, alternating brown and natural, black, and alternating natural and faded green. Top of mask and cylindrical protrusion are light brown; fringe is mix of light and dark brown. Circular eye holes cut out on front of mask with tall walls surrounding them; pieces of bark(?) attached around cutouts, consisting of a vertical rectangle with a deep "V" cutout from the top edge, creating thin triangles above eye holes.

Raven headdress, or mask, with long cedar bark fringe. Emerging from the top of the head is a short cedar bark fringe, as well as black feathers and two attached wooden wing panels. Two additional upright wooden wing panels are attached at the back, and one horizontal panel. The panels are carved in relief and painted black, brown and dark red on a black background. The beak is black, and mouth is red. The lower part of the beak is hinged with strips of hide(?), nailed in place, and a thin grey plaited rope is attached to the inside of the lower beak, and hangs down with the long fringe. The eyes are black, outlined in red and black on a white ovoid background; the brow is black. The inside of the headdress is hollow and lined with yellow foam on the upper portion. Two thick plaited ropes are nailed to the top, at the back, to hold the mask on the wearer. Attached along the top ridge is a twisted and dyed cedar rope.

Conical corroboree dance hat made of bark; exterior is completely wrapped in green-grey rope-like fibre. Front is decorated with a wide, vertical orange band, bordered with two white bands; small feathers throughout bands. A wooden rod is inserted through the top of the hat and has a large bundle of emu(?) feathers bound to it; feathers held in place with white strands, rod secured with white pigment along hat interior. Feathers are a mix of grey and dark brown.