Letter opener with handle carved into a walrus and bear. Blade is small and triangular, with rounded sides and a sharp point. Main body of handle is a thin rectangle that extends from bottom right corner of blade; walrus and bear protrude from left side of rectangle, shown in profile. The walrus is propped up on its foreflippers; tusks connect to bottom left corner of blade. Bear is standing upright with its head thrust out, hovering over top walrus' hind flippers; ears, carved in relief, are pointed back. All animal facial features, claws, and details on the flippers are coloured with black pigment(?).

Small toothpick(?) with a tapering point and carved seal as a finial. Seal is lying on its front with foreflippers tucked at sides; eyes and nose are done with black pigment(?).

Dagger with a bone blade and packed mud face on top; bone is concave on front and convex on back. Face is made with black mud and has large rounded ears, a curved nose and open pouting mouth; mouth is outlined with red pigment(?). Eyes are inset cowrie shells; short, pointed bones stick out of nostrils with an additional curved bone protruding from left side of nose. Face is covered with small inset cowrie shells, with strokes and spots of white pigment throughout. Long cassowary feathers attached to top of head; small amount of grey fibre surrounds mouth.

Woven breast ornament shaped like an inverted triangle with a naturally coloured, braided cord extending from the top; rest of ornament is coloured with orange pigment. Eight boar tusks extend from either side of the ornament; first two are pointed up, rest are pointed down. Additional boar tusks are threaded through a loop in the front centre of the ornament, pointed down. Woven protrusions extend from either side of the ornament, below the fit set of tusks; protrusions are thin rectangles with rounded ends. An open oval-shaped protrusion is woven underneath the central boar tusks. Above the central boar tusks are two cowrie shells, attached horizontally; a line of vertical cowrie shells extends from below the woven oval to the bottom of the ornament. Loop attached to bottom edge; back is undecorated.

Snuff mortar made of horn with incised motifs across surface. The body is naturally curved, with a circular opening tapering to a rounded base. Deep groove carved towards base; band of alternating triangles incised above. From opening to middle of body, groupings of incised dots decorate the exterior. Dots create linear and geometric motifs; all circles are filled in with black pigment(?).

Wooden humanoid mask with a small face that tapers at the chin. Mask has a rounded brow with a prominent ridge through the centre; slit-like eyes below brow. An orange-red band is painted across the eyes; circles indented around band and filled in with white pigment. Open mouth protrudes outward, from in between cheeks carved in high relief, with seven silver-coloured teeth embedded along the bottom edge of the top lip. Chin is pointed. Mask has holes for eyes and a hollow interior.

Small wooden humanoid mask with a plant fibre beard. Mask has a rounded brow with incised eyes underneath. Orange-red pigment, shaped like an oval, decorates the forehead; rest of mask is covered in brown pigment. "V"-shaped pieces of metal are embedded in each cheek; wide nose in between. Open mouth has protruding lips; four silver-coloured teeth embedded along bottom edge of top lip. Cotton headband is attached to top edge of mask; decorated with cowrie shells and a tooth. Mask has a flat back; small loop attached to top.

Head of a female Bunraku theatre puppet (part a) with stand (part b). She has a white oval-shaped face, long white neck and elaborate black coiffure. She has a wide nose, large light grey eyes and her eyebrows are light blue. Her lips are painted dark red, teeth are black. Her hair is pulled back into three buns. Front bun is secured with cord, and the centre bun is held in place with a kushi (comb) and kogai (hair tool). Both are made of black lacquered wood with iridescent plastic decorations embedded in them. Designs are floral and coloured red, light purple, white, light pink and light blue. The bottom bun is secured with a two-pronged, gold-coloured metal hair pin. The top has a circular medallion with a floral motif. The head is attached to a wooden rod with a handgrip. Two cords, with toggles, run through the grip, and into the head, to control neck and eye movement. The grip fits into a wooden stand (part b), supporting the head at an angle.

Male Bunraku theatre puppet (part a) wearing a long heavy robe. He has a removable head (part b) and separate sword (part c). The body has an internal wooden, bamboo and paper frame, with cords and rods throughout to control arm and hand movement. There are stuffed cloth bundles around the arms, legs and stomach for added dimension. The character is wearing a long-sleeved, front-closing under-robe, coloured dark orange with elaborate white embroidery across its entire surface. Motifs consist of circular dragons with curvilinear and floral lines in between. Overtop, the puppet is wearing a short-sleeved, vest-like robe. The shoulders and lower half are pleated. Coloured dark purple with a dark grey meander pattern background. Throughout there are embroidered circular dragons divided by rows of flowers; designs in white, dark orange and dark green. Matching belt tied around waist. White wooden hands extend past the sleeves. The head (part b) consists of a beige square-like face, long beige neck and styled black hair. He has a wide nose, large light grey eyes, and wide slanted eyebrows. A pointed diagonal red line is painted across both eyes, lips are done in a matching red. He has a light blue beard and moustache. Hair is pulled into a top knot, with a paper bow secured behind. Head is attached to a wooden rod with a handgrip. Multiple cords, with toggles, run through the grip and into the head, to control eye, eyebrow, mouth and neck movement. Maker's mark stamped onto base of head and along back of handgrip. The short curved sword (part c) is sheathed. It has a black hilt with a bronze-coloured metal pommel and guard. The sheath is black with a bronze-coloured metal cap. The sheath’s grip is dark brown and has light brown flowers painted across it. Brown, grey and white striped cord tied around the blade, to attach it to the puppet’s belt.

THE KWAKIUTL OF VANCOUVER ISLAND. BOAS, FRANZ MEMOIRS, 8, 1909