FROM CARD: "STICK ARMOR. WOVEN WITH SINEW AND WOOLEN CORD, 73 STICKS. ROD ARMOR:--COMPOSED OF 72 PEELED RODS OF UNIFORM LENGTH AND DIAMETER, HELD IN VERTICAL SERIES BY ALTERNATE BANDS OF WEAVING OF WOOLEN AND SINEW CORD. THE RODS ARE BUNCHED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BAND. THE ENDS OF THE RODS ARE NEATLY HOLLOWED OUT, FORMING CUP CAVITIES, AND THERE ARE FOUR EQUIDISTANT VERTICAL BANDS OF RED PAINT. THIS BAND WAS PROBABLY WORN WITH A SKIN COAT, BOTH SPECIMENS HAVE BEEN SECURED FROM THE SAME NATIVE. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO DEVICE TO PREVENT THE ROD BAND SLIPPING DOWN. WIDTH, 30 INCHES; HEIGHT, 23 1/2 INCHES. TAKU INDIANS, SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA. ILLUS. IN USNM AR, 1893; PL. 13, FIG. 640."Similar to E168157 (see remarks for that object), this Taku Tlingit object may originate with the Taku Tlingit of the Upper Taku River area of British Columbia.

Swan's list in the accession record indicates that this object, number 45 1/2 on the list, was collected at Masset, B.C. in July 1883 but he identifies this as "made at Chilkat Alaska."

FROM CARD: "SKIN ARMOR:--MADE OF THREE LAYERS OF TANNED HIDE, HARDENED. TWO LAYERS ARE FORMED BY FOLDING AND THE THIRD IS INSERTED BETWEEN THEM. IN GENERAL SHAPE IT IS THAT OF A WAISTCOAT, WITH COLLAR SEWED ON WITH THONGS, BUT NOT FORMED OF PIECES LIKE THE SIMILAR ARMOR. FASTENED IN FRONT WITH 4 LAPPETS AND SAILORS' BUTTONS OF BRASS. ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS A LOOP OF BUCKSKIN, PROBABLY FOR THE DAGGER, HEIGHT, 23 INCHES. ILLUS. IN USNM AR, 1893; PL. 21, FIG. 2; P. 644. LOANED TO THE S.I. CENTENNIAL COMM. 7-9-75. LOAN RETURNED FEB 9 1989."

FROM CARD: "ILLUS. IN USNM AR, 1893; PL. 16, 17; P. 642."

FROM CARD: "MADE OF THIRTY-TWO SLATS OF CEDAR AND OTHER WOOD WOVEN TOGETHER BY FINE WEAVING OF FINE SINEW AND OTHER CORD. A BAND OF WEAVING OF THREE INCHES WIDTH IS CARRIED ALONG THE FRONT AT THE TOP AND THE WEAVING IS CONTINUED DOWNWARDS IN TWO PLACES, MEETING A BAND CROSSING THE BOTTOM, AND FORMING A GEOMETRICAL FIGURE. THE MIDDLE SERIES OF SLATS, EIGHT IN NUMBER, EXTENDS BELOW THE OTHER FOUR INCHES, THREE OF WHICH ARE INTACT, WHILE TWO ON EACH SIDE ARE UNITED, FORMING A SWALLOW-TAIL AND ALLOWING THE FREE BENDING OF THE THIGHS. THE FRONT AND BACK ARE DISTINCT; JOINED BY ELK SKIN CORDS AT THE SIDES. A SECTION OF SHORT SLATS, EIGHT IN NUMBER, IS PLACED IN FRONT OF THE THROAT, AND A SIMILAR ROW, SEVEN IN NUMBER, PROTECTS THE BACK OF THE NECK. THE ARMOR IS HELD IN PLACE BY A BROAD BAND OF ELK SKIN OVER THE RIGHT SHOULDER, AND FASTENED ON THE LEFT SIDE BY A LOOP AND THONG. A TOGGLE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE COLLAR IN FRONT WAS PROBABLY FOR SUSPENSION OF THE QUIVER. HEIGHT 21 1/2", WIDTH 20 INCHES. ILLUS. IN USNM AR, 1893; PL. 6, FIG. 1 & 2; P. 636. ILLUS.: HNDBK. N. AMER. IND., VOL. 7, NORTHWEST COAST, FIG. 13 CENTER RIGHT, PG. 218."

From card: "Sleeveless garment of thick moose hide."

From card: "Illus. in USNM AR, 1888, Pl. 15, fig. 52, p. 270, also in USNM AR, 1893; Pl. 16, fig. 1; p. 642." From late 19th or early 20th century exhibit label with card: "Jerkin. - Made of two thicknesses of moose hide, and worn under the armor as an additional protection to the body. It has an opening at the neck and an arm-hole on the left side; the right side being left open to facilitate the putting on of the garment, after which it is secured to the person by means of toggles and straps. Tlinkit Indians ... , Alaska. Loaned by Max. B. Richardson."The accession card for E130587 - 130590 states: "One trunk of Indian clothing." The items were accessioned as a loan. The loan accession file contains correspondence and memoranda pertaining to the loan. In a letter dated Oswego, New York, September 24, 1888, Max B. Richardson, writes: "A few years ago, while on the Pacific Coast in Oregon, I obtained, among other things, from a fur trader, some curious articles of clothing, made apparently from the skins of the Sea Lion or Walrus. These garments are cut from the same pattern. they have an opening at the top for the head, and an arm-hole for the left arm, and are open at the right side. One of them is padded in front and is more than one inch in thickness, was apparently used as armor. One of them is decorated with Totemistic designs and another one was trimmed with the toes of the Mountain Sheep, with rows of Bear's teeth across the breast, and rows of copper bell-shaped ornaments across the bottom. I have never seen anything like these garments in any collection. I think they were procured by an Agent of the Southwest Trading Company from some Indian belonging to the Aleutian Islands." In a letter dated December 10, 1888, Max B. Richardson furnishes descriptions of the items sent and writes: "The article marked No. 2 was a coat of a chief who doubtless lived in Alaska or upon one of the Aleutian Islands adjacent thereto...The coat No. 1 was a very striking garment when I first saw it...The party of whom I purchased these goods would not sell No. 1 unless I allowed him to remove all the bear's teeth as he wished to use them, and appeared to value them very highly. I had to allow him to cut them off in order to get the garment at all. I am ashamed to say I removed the rest of the ornaments which I have preserved. One of the bear's teeth was carved to represent an eagle. I saved this piece of carving."

FROM CARD: "ILLUS. IN USNM AR, 1893 PL. 16 & 17; P. 642."

The hide is sea lion.

The pigment is red, black, and blue.