The object is a house post made of cedar wood, dark and unpainted. Two figures include a large humanoid figure holding a small humanoid figure. The small figure is held in front of the larger figure's chest area. Each head has carved brows, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. There is also a small humanoid head with carved features between the knees of the larger figure. Frontal figures and head are carved in high relief. Back is roughly carved and relatively flat. House post is fragile. There are cracks throughout. There are exceptional losses of wood on and behind small head at bottom. There are miscellaneous holes, especially on the nose of the larger figure. Missing parts include a portion of the left hand and upper lip of the large figure as well as the left foot of the small figure. The back of larger figure's head is hollowed out. The post is very fibrous along the edge of the bottom. This house post is from a set of four (see 11.700.1-.2-.3).

Museum Expedition 1911, Museum Collection Fund

Museum Expedition 1911, Museum Collection Fund

Museum Expedition 1908, Museum Collection Fund

This is one of a pair of wolf (?) masks (see 08.491.8905b). Both are constructed of wood pieces nailed together to make flat sided, flat ended forms with painted faces. The two masks generally resemble each other; however, there are construction differences between them and the painted forms on each mask differ. Both have openwork frets along the top and cut out teeth. Remnants of cedar bark hair are inside the top frets on each mask. Both have ovoid eyes; however, one mask's eye area is infilled with black dots and the other's has solid red infill. A long, thick curved eyebrow arches over each eye on both masks; however, nostrils differ: one has nostrils with black over red painted geometric forms; the other has black painted swirled nostrils. There is uncertainty whether the pair represent wolves or serpents. They might be serpents for if the objects were wolves, they most likely would have no ears. The object (08.491.8905a) appears to be structurally stable except for the fabric attached at the front under the jaw. Also, the split cane bundles that represent fur (?) are dried and brittle. The proper left side of the mask appears to have been repainted. The mask is properly worn on the top of the head with the face forward.

Museum Expedition 1905, Museum Collection Fund

By exchange

Written on object: "from Beasley Collection, H.M.S. Grewler, 1864."

Model house with front section having a totem pole in the center and a house post at either end. The house model was made for visitors to the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 as a traditional example of Haida architecture. There is a split in the wood of the angled beam below the house post on the proper left side of the front due to a nail which attaches the corner post. Some surface wear but condition generally good. Description from Dean's notes: George Dickson (his grandmother was a daughter of Clads an Coon, her mother was a daughter of the Massett Chief Edenshaw), also mentioned in an account of old houses. Name of house was Seen-ah-Cootkie, House of Contentment. Figure on pole: wasgo, whale, female shaman, three watchmen on top, one on each corner post: adopted through connections with Skidegate family.

The object is a burden basket. The rim at the top is decorated with a basketry cord attached to the main basket at intervals of approximately 2 1/2 inches, creating a scalloped edge. The design is made by the imbrication techinque. Below the scalloped edge is a row of wolves with their tails up, (a characteristic marker of identity) circling the rim counterclockwise. There is a wave pattern throughout created by imbrication. There are four colors on the basket. The body of the basket is a natural warm brown color. The imbrication areas are natural light straw, natural? red, and dyed? dark brown. The basket is in good and stable condition. On the interior, there are some detached basketry fibers.