Small plate carved from black argillite. Three concentric circles are incised on bottom, inner surface. A rim (1.2 cm. wide) is incised with stylized leaf patterns. Underside of plate is elaborately carved with flower and leaf design. Crosshatch is used as background filler.Incised and carved relief decoration, front and back, including floral and leaf motifs, compass-drawn motifs, cross-hatching. Has original Peale # label.Provenience note, in 1841 Oregon Territory encompassed the land from Russian Alaska to Spanish California and from the Pacific to the Continental Divide. The U.S. Exploring Expedition did not go to Canada, but did reach Oregon Territory in 1841, and carried out a hydrographic survey of the Columbia River from its mouth to the Cascades, as well as doing some surveying inland.They had dealings with Hudson's Bay Company staff during that time, and it is probable that the HBC is the source of a number of the Northwest Coast artifacts collected by the expedition. This object has been attributed as possibly Haida, based on its being made of argillite.

BRACELET. 38 SMALL SHELLS STRUNG ON A TWO PLY TWISTED VEGETABLE FIBER CORD. AN OLD TAG READS, "A SPECIES OF FRESHWATER SHELL, "MELANIA," A WEST COAST SPECIES". PUGET SOUND, WASHINGTON.Peale catalogue describes # 400 (E2558) and #401 (E8780) as "Shell necklace worn by the natives of the Straits of de Fuca. 401A (E2559) A duplicate made of fresh water shells." E2559 is, at least currently, too small to be worn as a necklace."Straits of de Fuca" presumably refers to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Strait of Juan de Fuca is the waterway stretching from the Pacific Ocean on the west to the San Juan Islands on the east, with Vancouver Island to the north and the Olympic Peninsula to the south. Puget Sound is the narrower waters south of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The international boundary between the United States and Canada runs down the center of the Strait.

FROM CARD: "ILLUSTRATED IN BARBEAU, "HAIDA MYTHS ILLUSTRATED IN ARGILLITE CARVINGS," NMC #127, P. 203 [Pl. 164]. 4/18/1967: LOAN TO VANCOUVER ART GALLERY. 12/13/67: LOAN RETURNED."Barbeau describes motifs on p. 207 and p. 228 of "Haida Myths Illustrated in Argillite Carvings" as thunderbird with curved or hooked bill/beak and closed wings in center; long protruding tongue linking two animals or people together; a frog; a bear swallowing an human head; one or two eagle, bear, or human profiles, together with stylized eyes and feathers. ILLUS. PL. 16, P. 54 IN "KADASHAN'S STAFF" BY ROBIN K. WRIGHT, AMERICAN INDIAN ART MAGAZINE, VOL. 17, NO. 4, 1992, AND ID THERE AS ARGILLITE PIPE, HAIDA, COLLECTED BY WILKES EXPEDITION AT MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER IN 1841 FROM A HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY SHIP WHICH HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A TRIP TO THE NORTH. WRIGHT ID'S CARVER OF PIPE AS PROBABLY SAME PERSON WHO CARVED PIPE CAT. NO. 2586, AND ILLUSTRATES OTHER STYLISTICALLY SIMILAR OBJECTS IN ARTICLE. Illus. Fig. 3.41, p. 156, and discussed p. 156-159 in Wright, Robin Kathleen. 2001. Northern Haida master carvers. Seattle: University of Washington Press. Wright speculates carver may be Albert Edward Edenshaw (gwaaygu 7anhlan)?Provenience note, in 1841 Oregon Territory encompassed the land from Russian Alaska to Spanish California and from the Pacific to the Continental Divide. The U.S. Exploring Expedition did not go to Canada, but did reach Oregon Territory in 1841, and carried out a hydrographic survey of the Columbia River from its mouth to the Cascades, as well as doing some surveying inland.They had dealings with Hudson's Bay Company staff during that time, and it is probable that the HBC is the source of a number of the Northwest Coast artifacts collected by the expedition.

Illus. Pl. 61, p. 95 and described p. 147 in Bear Mother chapter of Barbeau, Charles Marius. 1953. Haida myths illustrated in argillite carvings. [Ottawa]: Dept. of Resources and Development, National Parks Branch, National Museum of Canada. Motifs identified there as "The Bear embraces the woman and projects his tongue into her mouth. Other stylized figures of the same early period." ILLUS. PL. 12, 13, AND 15, P. 53 IN "KADASHAN'S STAFF" BY ROBIN K. WRIGHT, AMERICAN INDIAN ART MAGAZINE, VOL. 17, NO. 4 AND ID THERE AS ARGILLITE PIPE, HAIDA, COLLECTED BY WILKES EXPEDITION AT MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER IN 1841 FROM A HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY SHIP WHICH HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A TRIP TO THE NORTH. IT IS LIKELY THAT IT WAS NEWLY CARVED AT THAT TIME. WRIGHT ID'S CARVER AS PROBABLY SAME PERSON WHO CARVED PIPE CAT. NO. 2587, AND ILLUSTRATES OTHER STYLISTICALLY SIMILAR OBJECTS IN ARTICLE. Illus. Fig. 3.40, p. 156, and discussed p. 156-159 in Wright, Robin Kathleen. 2001. Northern Haida master carvers. Seattle: University of Washington Press. Wright speculates carver may be Albert Edward Edenshaw (gwaaygu 7anhlan)?Provenience note, in 1841 Oregon Territory encompassed the land from Russian Alaska to Spanish California and from the Pacific to the Continental Divide. The U.S. Exploring Expedition did not go to Canada, but did reach Oregon Territory in 1841, and carried out a hydrographic survey of the Columbia River from its mouth to the Cascades, as well as doing some surveying inland.They had dealings with Hudson's Bay Company staff during that time, and it is probable that the HBC is the source of a number of the Northwest Coast artifacts collected by the expedition.

FROM CARD: "8/17/66: INVENTORIED."Bow and 6 arrows.

FROM CARD: "PEALE CATALOG IDENTIFYS THIS AS A TOOL FOR POUNDING FROM THE NATIVES OF OREGON. PROBABLY OBTAINED BY WILKES IN NORTHERN PUGET SOUND. THE ART STYLE IS VERY TYPICAL OF SALISH WORK PARTICULARLY COWICHAN. ILLUS. IN THE FAR NORTH CATALOG, NAT. GALL. OF ART, 1973, P. 263."This appears to be a fish club. Carved wooden club, one end carved with bird head.

FROM CARD: "NO. 2787 ILLUS. IN SMITHSONIAN REPT, 1893; PL. 50; FIG. 8; P. 679. *1 BOW AND 6 ARROWS FROM N. CALIFORNIA? 7 ARROWS FROM THE NW COAST. 8/17/66: INVENTORY. 1 BOW, 6 ARROWS 9/77 INVENTORY."1 bow, Peale # 192. 13 arrows total. 8 arrows from the Northwest Coast, all with bone barb points, Peale # 179. 5 arrows from California: one with metal point and 4 missing points.

Peale catalogue describes # 400 (E2558) and #401 (E8780) as "Shell necklace worn by the natives of the Straits of de Fuca. 401A (E2559) A duplicate made of fresh water shells." Necklace consists of 112 shells."Straits of de Fuca" presumably refers to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Strait of Juan de Fuca is the waterway stretching from the Pacific Ocean on the west to the San Juan Islands on the east, with Vancouver Island to the north and the Olympic Peninsula to the south. Puget Sound is the narrower waters south of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The international boundary between the United States and Canada runs down the center of the Strait.

Peale catalogue entry on these artifacts identifies them as: "Two spear points used for catching salmon by the natives of Oregon." Note that 2628 is mentioned as being used in an exhibit in Berlin in 1880 on p. 60 of USNM Bulletin No. 18. It is described there as fish dart heads. These appear to be toggling fishing harpoon heads. A similar (same?) object is shown top right in illustration on p. 445, in Volume 4 of Charles Wilkes, 1798-1877, Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition. During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842., 1845 edition, Philadelphia. Printed from original "official" 1844 Philadelphia publication plates ed., 5 vols. (Philadephia: Lea and Blanchard, 1845). This illustration is captioned "Fish-Hooks" and is in the "Puget Sound and Okonagan" chapter of the book.

FROM CARD: " 8/17/66: INVENTORIED."