FROM CARD: "ANIMAL-FORM BOWL; CARVED IN RELIEF; PAINTED BLACK, WHITE, RED, AND BLUE. LOANED RENWICK GAL. 11-7-73. LOAN RETURNED 8-24-76." FROM CARD: "21599. FROM: PAGE 48, BOXES AND BOWLS CATALOG; RENWICK GALLERY; SMITHSONIAN PRESS; 1974. OBJECT ILLUS. ON SAME PAGE. 24. ANIMAL-FORM BOWL WOOD; CARVED IN RELIEF; PAINTED BLACK, WHITE, RED, AND BLUE. LENGTH: 13 1/2 ALASKA. COLLECTED BY JAMES G. SWAN CATALOGED MARCH 2, 1876."

Described p. 101 in Brown, James Temple. 1883. The whale fishery and its appliances. Washington: Govt. print. off.: "Harpoon Head And Laniard. Head made of piece of sheet-brass; barbs, elk-bone, ornamented, covered with a coating of spruce gum. Laniard, sinews of the whale neatly laid up, and served with twine to keep out water, which is injurious to the fibers. Sheath, bark. Makah Indians, Cape Flattery, 1883. James G. Swan. The harpoons formerly used by these Indians were made of mussel shells; at present of copper sheathing, brass, or old saw-blades. The serving for the laniards was formerly made exclusively from the fibers of the nettle, which are also used now by the old men; and though the young men, in some instances, use cotton twine, yet they prefer the nettle. A harpoon that has been successfully used acquires additional value."

From card: "Taski: a wand of office held in the hand of a chief when giving presents at a feast. When the name of the recipient is called the Taski is thumped down to give emphasis to the word. Emblems: The Beaver "Tsing" wiht the Tadn skillik or hat of rank surmounted by the Eagle Koot. 1/28/1942. Ceremonial wand of shaman in medicine dances Illus. in USNM AR, 1888, Pl. XVI, fig. 54, p. 270. Loaned to the National Gallery of Art October 20, 1972. Returned 5-29-73. Illus. in The Far North catalog, Nat. Gall. of Art, 1973, p. 273. Illus.: Hndbk. N. Amer. Ind., Vol. 7, Northwest Coast, Fig. 14 left, pg. 253."Handbook of North American Indians photo caption identifies as: Ceremonial staff. Wand of office held by a chief when giving out gifts at the potlatch. When a recipient was named, the staff was thumped on the floor boards. At top is a beaver crest; at bottom, an eagle. Collected by J.G. Swan at Skidegate, B.C., 1883; length 122.6 cm.The emblem descrption on the cat card is actually describing E89098 and copied over from that card.

SEE PROCESSING LAB ACCESSION FILE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.Source of the information below: Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Alaska Native Collections: Sharing Knowledge website, by Aron Crowell, entry on this artifact, listed as number E20885, http://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=49 , retrieved 5-9-2012: Crest hat, Haida. Also called clan hat, potlatch hat.

FROM CARD [for 1155 through 1159]: "WITH TWO MINIATURE BOTTLES..."

From card: "'If for common painting of hats, etc. the paint is prepared by chewing dried salmon eggs and cedar bark and spitting the saliva into the cavity in the stone, and the lignite is then rubbed in till the required color is obtained. When used for tatooing the lignite is rubbed on the stone with water only.' Swan's invoice and descriptive catalogue." Neg. #2005-22350 is photo of this object with Catalogue No. E88903, a paint mortar.