The accession record lists a group of Sitka carvings as part of this accession. This object may be one of those pieces, possibly the one described as "man standing on whales back", and thus possibly Tlingit rather than Haida?

FROM 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY EXHIBIT LABEL WITH CARD: "SPOON.---BOWL OF SHEEP HORN; HANDLE OF GOAT HORN, ORNAMENTED WITH CARVED TOTEMIC DESIGNS. THE BOWL IS SHAPED BY STEAMING THE HORN IN A WOODEN MOULD, SCOOPED OUT IN THE REQUIRED SHAPE. THE HANDLE IS FASTENED TO THE BOWL WITH COPPER RIVETS. LENGTH, 11 INCHES; WIDTH, 2 3/8 INCHES. INDIANS OF ALASKA. 23,408. COLLECTED BY JAMES G. SWAN."

This basket is small and almost flat-- looks like it might be a lid, but it doesn't fit any of the other baskets in this catalog number. It is also made with a finer and lighter color reed than the others. Might be misnumbered.

SI ARCHIVE DISTRIBUTION DOCUMENTS SAY SENT TO GIGLIOLI, ITALY. 1890.

From card: "See accession record for additional data. Illus. in USNM AR, 1888, Fig. 75a,b; p. 274 "embroidered with scarlet broad cloth. On the front is the Kahatta or dogfish, the teeth of white beads. On the back is the Wasko or mythological wolf. This very fine specimen was owned by Ellswarsh of Skidegate and worn by him on ceremonial occasions." Swan. Illus.: Hndbk. N. Amer. Ind. Vol. 7, Northwest Coast, Fig. 7 right, pg. 245. Loaned to Renwick 4/29/82. Returned 6/1983. Illus.: p. 43, Pl. 238d, Celebrations catalogue, Smithsonian Press, 1982. [From Celebrations catalogue:] Appliqued Tunic, ca. 1860-83, ... red and blue flannel, blue satin, white glass beads 36 x 30 (91.4 x 76.2). "Button blankets" and other wearable textiles made of appliqued trade cloth present a unique synthesis of cultures. Although the materials only became available through foreign trade in the nineteenth century, their designs and use were purely native and traditional. Worn by dancers during potlatch ceremonies, appliqued blankets, shirts, robes, and tunics always featured clan emblems. The tunic shown here has a dogfish on the front and a wolf on the back. The preferred fabric for applique was Hudson's Bay Company flannel, especially red and blue. Chinese coins, brass or pearl shell buttons, and, as in this example, glass beads were all used for decoration. Loan: Crossroads Sep 22 1988. Returned Jan 21 1993. Illus.: Crossroads of Continents catalogue; Fig. 381, p. 277." Crossroads of Continents catalogue caption identifies: "Applique Tunic, Haida. "A dogfish covers the front of this dancing tunic, appliqued in red flannel and outlined with white beads. It is presented in "split " form, with pectoral fins and halves of the dorsal fin at the sides, and the sides of the second fin and the tail below. The high forehead (the dogfish's nose), gill slits, and sharp teeth are further recognition features. On the back is a sea wolf, a mythical being with a wolf's head, paws and tail, and the killer whale's dorsal fin and flukes. Sea wolf and dogfish are both crests of the Haida Eagle moiety."Per the entry on E89186 in the website http://alaska.si.edu/, "Ellswarsh" may refer to Daniel Eldjiwus [a.k.a. Daniel Elljuuwas], a chief and builder of the House of Contentment at Skidegate.

From label in Swan's hand glued to artifact: "97 Combination dance carving illustrating ancient myth. Chilkat Indians, Alaska. J. G. Swan, Port Townsend, W.T. Dec. 1884."Listed on page 45 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)".