OBJECTS OF EXCHANGE: SOCIAL AND MATERIAL TRANSFORMATION ON THE LATE NINETEENTH-CENTURY NORTHWEST COAST. GLASS, AARON EXHIBITION CATALOG, 2011, Publisher: BARD GRADUATE CENTER

Gift of Barbara Christy Wagner.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

Burden basket. Rectangular with three separated rows of animal designs covering all four sides. The figures are reddish-brown bark, with a lighter (yellowish) grass as background. The upper outside edge is reinforced with a rectangular loop of thick metal (telegraph) wire, held on with hide and fibre loops. The inside base is reinforced with a rectangular loop of root, bent at three corners.

Ceremonial war club. Club stick (part a) is long and relatively straight, covered in brown canvas and red felt. Ends are wrapped with narrow strips of fur. Top has an open loop created out of fur. Along the length of the stick are three tassels of horse hair, and several areas of blue glass beading, with the occasional inclusion of some brass beads. Part b is a round, hide wrapped stone. One half of the hide covering is painted dark blue. A braided thong of leather is sewn to the seams of the hide, and attaches two large cream and brown feathers and smaller red feathers with pink beading at the quills, and black glass beads around the thong, to the stone.

Bow. Back is straight, with gentle curving of each limb. Belly is painted orange, back is covered with striped green snakeskin, and tips are covered in leather. Where limbs start to curve, bow is wrapped with strands of glass beads in pink, blue, green and yellow. The grip is covered with hide and cotton. String is made of twisted sinew, attached to each end of the bow by a tied off loop.

Bowl is made from the burl growth of a tree. It is round, with low, uneven edges that flare widely, and a thick, rounded base. Burl has been smoothed and shows the grain of the wood. Small cracks cover both the interior and exterior in rough, linear patterns. A hole has been made in the side of the bowl, with a fine cotton rope looped through.

Beaded vest. Vest is made of leather, open at the front with two leather tie closures. The front is completely beaded in white edged in red, surrounding a blue vine running down each side carrying multicoloured flowers and foliage. Short, thick fringe hangs from the edges and bottom of the garment as well as in a strip down the centre back. To either side of the strip are two red beaded crosses, four in total, with lines of red beading along bottom and shoulder. The interior of the garment is lined with blue and cream gingham cotton.

Beaded shirt. Tunic has a high, rounded neck and long sleeves, with a wide fringe cut into the wrists and hem. The material is red stroud felt, with raw brown material along the hem. Heavy beaded panels cover the neck and shoulders front and back as well as the tops of the arms, with colour blocks in white and blue, and geometric patterns and crosses in red, white, yellow and green. A leather fringe hangs along the edges of the neck panel.