Dance Dress Of A Blue Blanket
date: label: Accession Date
content: 21 Dec 1883
label: Collection Date
content: Oct 1883
name: label: Collector
content: James G. Swan
label: Donor Name
content: James G. Swan
notes: label: Notes
content: 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."
label: Notes
content: 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.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 19 Mar 2025
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Skidegate, Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii) / Graham Island, British Columbia, Canada, North America
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Haida
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 013804
label: USNM Number
content: E89194-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Tunic