CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ETHNOLOGY OF THE HAIDA [OF QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS]. SWANTON, JOHN R. MEMOIRS, 8, 1905

Alfred W. Jenkins Fund

Polychrome wood "copper". Ceremonial shields called “coppers" were highly-prized emblems of wealth among the Northwest Coast peoples, and were both traded and displayed during potlatches, ceremonial gatherings. The wooden grave marker in a copper form is a reference to the affluence and importance of the individual. One half of its top section is missing. On the remaining section one half of a bird's face is visible. On the lower portion, divided by a central vertical line, bird wings are visible.

The object,known as a "copper," was cut into the shape of a shield from a flat sheet of copper alloy and hammered out to produce the animal face on the upper section and the ridge on the lower section. The upper section of this copper contains either the head of a bear or a beaver and has exposed metal as well as black and white painted areas. The delineation of the animal head on the upper area was achieved by scratching through painted and exposed metal areas. The lower section of the copper has two black painted panels with a vertical ridge. On the back of the object, there is some corrosion that is stable. The object is in good condition with minor surface scratches overall. Coppers were used as status symbols and were important economical commodities for their owners. The owner could break off part of one during a potlatch ceremony to demonstrate his or her largesse although this one shows no signs of having been used this way.

FROM CARD: "TLINKIT USE THEM AS GONGS [sic]. PAINTED WITH DEVICES PREDOMINANTLY BLACK, SOME RED, AND A LITTLE GREEN. SPECIMEN ILLUSTRATED (FIG.3) AND MENTIONED IN TEXT (P.344) OF BOAS SOCIAL ORG. AND SECRET SOC. OF KWAKIUTL. ILLUS. IN USNM REPT, 1895; FIG. 3; P. 343." Caption for figure 3 in Boas states: "The painting on this plate represents the hawk. The upper face shows the hawk's head, and the lower face its body. The three lines on each side of the body are probably the talons."Anthropology catalogue ledger book and list in accession file (this object is # 30) identify this object as acquired in Sitka. It is included on list in accession file of objects "purchased of [Captain] A. [Amos] T. Whitford, Sitka."

FROM CARD: "A SYMBOL OF VALUE; FORM OF A SHIELD. LOAN R.H.LOWIE MUSEUM DEC. 31, 1964, LOAN RETURNED FEB 15 1966. LOANED TO RENWICK GALLERY 2/11/1982. RETURNED 6/1983. ILLUS. P. 193, PL. 239, CELEBRATIONS CATALOGUE, SMITHSONIAN PRESS, 1982. COPPER (TAKO IN HAIDA), CA. 1880-1920, SHEET COPPER, RED AND BLACK PAINT."... CONTINUED, SEE CARD.

FROM CARD: "SHIP'S BOTTOM COPPER SHEETING WITH NATIVE RIVETING. CONSISTS OF SHEET COPPER. 1-2 CM. IN THICKNESS JOINED BY COPPER RIVETS INTO FORM TYPICAL OF N.W. COAST INDIAN 'PROPERTY' SHIELDS. OUTLINE FORM ROUGHLY OBLONG WITH FLARING EDGES EXTENDING FROM CENTRAL TRANSVERSE MIDRIB TO TOP MARGIN. BOTH TOP & BOTTOM ARE CONVEXED DIAMOND-SHAPE. A SECOND REINFORCING MIDRIB EXTENDS LONGITUDINALLY FROM CENTER TO BASE. RIBS ARE 1-2 CM. DEEP V GROOVES OPENING ON REVERSE OF SHIELD. NO SUSPENSION LOOP OR ARM HOLD DESIGNS. DESIGN ETCHING ON OBVERSE. (TAKEN FROM AN EARLY LABEL:) NATIVE COPPER SHIELDS. THESE SHIELDS WERE THE MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION OF THE ALASKA NATIVE AND THEIR PRICE RECKONED IN SLAVES. ONE LIKE THIS WAS WORTH ABOUT FIVE SLAVES. WE HAVE QUESTIONED SEVERAL AUTHORITIES ABOUT THIS SHIELD AND THEY ALL SAY THAT IT IS UNDOUBTABLY MADE OF COPPER NUGGETS HAMMERED OUT FLAT AND RIVETED TOGETHER. ITS ORIGIN THE COPPER RIVER COUNTRY. THE OWNER WAS A PRINCE OF WALES NATIVE. THE DAY AFTER HE SOLD IT TO US HE TRIED TO PERSUADE US TO TRADE BACK."See BAE 46th Annual Report, p. 35, where acquisition of this artifact is discussed. Ales Hrdlicka purchased this object (as well as E332801, discussed on p. 34) from Robert Simpson of The Nugget Shop, a curio shop in Juneau, Alaska. Purchased by Hrdlicka in 1926, presumably in June of that year as was E332801. The publication indicates that, according to Simpson, he purchased the copper in "Klawak, Prince of Wales Island."

2 COPPER SHEET ORNAMENTS. One in form of a small Northwest Coast style copper shield-shaped ornament, one in form of crescent-shaped gorget.

Chinook copper bracelet, same as 25.0/151 but of slightly thinner metal.* *Information is from the original accession ledger.