Museum Purchase: Indian Collection Subscription Fund, Rasmussen Collection of Northwest Coast Indian Art.

Museum Purchase: Indian Collection Subscription Fund, Rasmussen Collection of Northwest Coast Indian Art.

Museum Purchase: Indian Collection Subscription Fund, Rasmussen Collection of Northwest Coast Indian Art.

Museum Purchase: Indian Collection Subscription Fund, Rasmussen Collection of Northwest Coast Indian Art.

Museum Purchase: Indian Collection Subscription Fund, Rasmussen Collection of Northwest Coast Indian Art. Collected: Axel Rasmussen

Bequest of Miss Mary Forbush Failing.

Long hollow animal horn. Object is curved, wide at base and narrowing toward tip. Tip is carved into an oblong ball. An open, rimmed mouthpiece is carved into the concave curve of the horn near the narrow end.

Horned cap-like headdress. Helmet (part a) is made of half a rounded gourd, with rows of cowrie shells evenly sewn on in concentric circles, nearly covering the outer surface. Two long, curving horns, heavily ridged, emerge from the top of the headdress, tips pointing inward toward each other. (One horn--part b--can be removed.) From the rim of the gourd hangs a chin strap of braided tan and black leather with a leather tassel painted with black lines attached at centre along side a long, thin strap of leather covered on one side with cowrie shells, ending in a similar tassel . Parts 'c' through 'i' are similar strips that are detached from the headdress.

Bent horn rattle. Horn serves as handle as well as rattle head, curving over itself to make an enclosed chamber that holds noise-making elements (stones?) inside. Holes are bored through head along edges where metal wire is inserted and tied to hold horn head together. One side has some remnants of blue and white fabric wound around the wire. Wide strands of root are wrapped around the handle.

Headdress in the style of a bearclaw headdress, except the "claws" are each carved from sheep horn. Two thick leather strips are stitched together at the ends to form a circular forehead strap. Attached to the strap are 24 long, curved "claws" sewn on at their proximal ends. Each is attached by a nail to a small square of horn. Their distal ends are blunted, and a small hole has been bored through each tip for cotton string to pass through. The string connects the horn claws to each other and to two large feather pieces (lower shafts), as well as to short leather thongs. Thin pieces of sinew are wrapped around the string. A piece of cotton is tied to each side, dropping down under the headdress where they are tied together.