AS OF 2006, CAT. # 7965 CONSISTS OF ONE COLUMN OF 4 CYLINDRICAL WOVEN SPRUCE-ROOT? RINGS, AND ONE COLUMN OF 6 WOVEN SPRUCE-ROOT? RINGS. THESE OBJECTS ARE SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS "POTLATCH RINGS," AND ARE USUALLY USED ON TOPS OF HATS. IT MAY BE THAT ONE OF THESE SHOULD ACTUALLY BE CAT # 7964?, WHICH WAS NOT LOCATED DURING THE INVENTORY. -F. PICKERING 5-10-2006

From 19th or early 20th century exhibit label with card: "Rain-Hat (Old Pattern). - Made of grass (iris tenax), closely braided and painted green; waterproof. Shape, truncated cone. Band inside to fit head; secured by broad woolen strap which passes under chin. Sitka-Kwan Indians. Diameter, 17 1/2 ins. Height, 9 ins. Alaska, 1882. Collected by John J. McLean."

From card: "Bird carving painted; eyes set with abalone. Probably peak of a basket hat. Much decayed."

From card: "Painted - 'split body' totemic motif. Repaired. Illus. Fig. 116, p. 110 in A Guide to Weft Twining by David W. Fraser. Philadelphia: University of Penn. Press, 1989." For small illustration see Hat 108, p. 221 in Glinsmann, Dawn. 2006. Northern Northwest Coast spruce root hats. Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2006. Also illustrated, with details of brim turn, ending, and headband, in Fig. 200, p. 165 of Glinsmann. Glinsmann identifies as Haida style of manufacture.Speculatively, one possible number for this hat might be E360687 in the Victor J. Evans collection?

FROM CARD: "DEPOSITED."A black-brimmed painted basketry hat. Hat is described, p. 57 in Ostapkowicz, Joanna, 2010, "Nuu-chah-nulth and Makah Black-brimmed Hats: Chronology and Style," American Indian Art Magazine, 35(3). [Hat is] " ... a striking example with expansive design elements rendered in black and red, including a large, four-way split oval at the front and a series of featherlike U-forms extending down the back. As with most ... [black-brimmed hats], it is difficult to identify the creature depicted."

May be Sitka Tlingit?: it is identified as collected in Sitka; compare to E72431; and also see accession history re the basket part of this accession being from the "Sitka-Kwahn."

Per Anthropology catalogue ledger book and Dall's field catalogue, filed under Accession No. 3258, entry under # 616, collector is M. Baker and William Healy Dall. Object is described in accession list as "Shaman's cap, trimmed with seal teeth, Sitka Thlinkets."