Accession record describes this object as the "stone image of a seal, worn and used by a Thlinket Indian of Sitka as a head-scratcher."Listed on page 46 in "The Exhibits of the Smithsonian Institution at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, California, 1915", in section "Arts of the Northwest Coast Tribes (Tools)".

From card: "Wood carved. From Medicine man's grave."

U.S. National Museum Memo of Sept. 29, 1886 in accession file describes this object as "Harpoon head of native hammered copper and whalebone seized together with rawhide and cord", collected by the donor from the "Takoo Indians, Takoo River and Stephens Passage, S.E. Alaska."

From card: "Carved wood. Illus. in USNM AR 1888, Pl. 17, fig. 63, p. 272. See Andrews, 'Indian Primitive', p. 66." Plate caption in USNM AR for 1888 identifies object as "Dance Wand. Carried in the hand. Ornamented with human hair. Hoodsinoo Indians (Koluschan stock) [i.e. Hutsnuwu Tlingit], Alaska. Collected by Paymaster E. B. Webster, U.S. Navy." On p. 272 of the same report Niblack writes that this object is "... a Tlingit ceremonial dance wand in the shape of a dagger ..."

From card: "Illus. in USNM AR, 1888, Pl. 57, fig. 302, p. 330 (Medicine and dance drum, Tlingit of Sitka). Also in Rept., 1896, pl. 70; p. 564." Identified in plate captions as "Medicine and Dance Drum. Tanned sheepskin stretched over a wooden frame. Totemic figure, the bear. It is beaten with an ordinary stick padded with cloth. Tlingit, Sitka, Alaska. Collected by Paymaster E.B. Webster, U. S. Navy." From late 19th or early 20th century exhibit label filed with card: "Hand drum of the Chilkats, Koluschan family. Shell, a hoop of bent wood; head, soaked, stretched across the hoop and nailed. Thongs are stretched across the back for a handle. Inside the head is painted with totemic emblems in red and black. Diameter 30 3/4 inches. Alaska. Collected, 1883, by E. B. Webster."Ruth Demmert, Alan Zuboff, and Linda Wynne made the following comments during the Tlingit Recovering Voices Community Research Visit, March 13-March 24. This drum features a raven crest design, which may be traced back to the Raven Bone House because of the backbone and ribs on the design. This object is made of cedar wood, and was used for dancing. It is unclear if this drum was bought in Sitka from Chilkat people, or if it's a design/object of the Chilkat themselves.