The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection. Collected: James Mooney

This fan has a hide handle that has each side beaded differently from the other, one side blue, green, red and white beads, the reverse side red, blue and white. Both sides have a cross in the design. A hide thong is dyed green and tied to one side of the handle. Small eagle feathers are arranged in front of larger eagle feathers and tucked into the fan handle hide.

The front of the headdress has a beaded headband in blue and white. From under the headband, trailing down the back is dyed red horse hair. Two long horns (beef horns) are on either side. A roach of bird skin and feathers is fastened to center of horsehair trailer. Four bands of dyed feathers are attached to a red wool trailer faced with cotton fabric that hangs down the back of the headdress. According to Sean Standing Bear 10/24/2000) the small concentric beaded circles on either side of the headdress are 'eyeballs.'

This mask was made by Willie Seaweed, an artist well represented in the Burke Museum collection. The heavy drooping eyebrows and mustache, open mouth, and staring eyes suggest a certain naivete. The face is entirely white, with the features in black and red. It is a highly intellectualized piece of sculpture, typical of Willie Seaweed in every way. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)

This mask was made by Willie Seaweed as part of a set for the Gyidakhanis dance. The most obvious features of the artist are the precision and clarity of the planes of the face and the clean, meticulous painting. The mask is painted a solid white with commercial paint. The tiny mustache, round eyes, and arched eyebrows of typical Seaweed conformation are in glossy black, while the lips and nostrils are in red. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)