Helmet
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1876
label: Collection Date
content: 1875
name: label: Collector
content: James G. Swan
label: Donor Name
content: James G. Swan
notes: label: Notes
content: FROM CARD: "CARVED FROM THE SOLID. HARDWOOD. UNPAINTED AND PLAIN EXCEPT FOR FACE WHICH IS TUFTED WITH HAIR AND PAINTED. TOP OF CROWN FROM EAR TO EAR HAS TUFTS OF APPARENTLY HUMAN HAIR INSERTED IN SMALL HOLES SECURED WITH PEGS. MOUSTACHES AND CHIN WHISKERS OF CUT SECTIONS OF A SOFT GRAY FUR GLUED OR OTHERWISE SECURED IN PROPER LOCATIONS. FACE PAINTED GREEN (RIGHT SIDE); VERMILLION (LEFT SIDE); EYES, WHITE AND BLACK; EYEBROWS, BLACK; TEETH, WHITE; EARS, RED. NEG. NO.43,227-D (FRONT). 43,227-C (PROFILE-RIGHT SIDE). 43,227-I (PROFILE-RIGHT SIDE AT AN ANGLE)43,227-J (PROFILE-LEFT SIDE) LOANED: OSAKA EXPO-70 JULY 69 - JAN 71. RETURNED TO COLLECTION DECEMBER 7, 1970. LOANED TO THE S.I. CENTENNIAL COMM. 7-9-75. LOAN RETURNED MAR 22 1990." FROM OLD 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY EXHIBIT LABEL WITH CARD: "HEAD-DRESS.---HEAVY CONICAL HELMET OF WOOD, HOLLOWED OUT ON UNDER SIDE TO FIT WEARER, AND ORNAMENTED IN FRONT WITH A CARVED AND PAINTED MAN'S FACE, ONE HALF BEING COLORED BLUE AND THE OTHER RED. THE MOUSTACHE, BEARD, AND HAIR ARE OF VEGETABLE FIBER. WORN IN DANCING BY SITKA-KWAN INDIANS. OUTER DIAMETER, 11 1/2 INS. INNER DIAM., 8 1/2 INS, HEIGHT, 9 1/2 INS. SITKA, ALASKA, 1876. 20,785. COLLECTED BY J. G. SWAN."
label: Notes
content: Ruth Demmert, Alan Zuboff, Linda Wynne, Florence Sheakley, and Virginia Oliver made the following comments during the Tlingit Recovering Voices Community Research Visit, March 13-March 24, 2017. This object was carved from a burl, and looks more like a helmet than a dancing mask. Florence believes that helmets with iron nails or staples are newer because earlier Tlingit helmets only used wooden dowels to make repairs. The fuzzy beard on this object could be made of animal fur, human hair, or whiskers, but it is not vegetable fiber as the record states. The blue color on this object in particular looks commercial and has changed over time. This object is made in a similar fashion as a shakee.at dancing headdress, with additional garments draped down the back.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 30 Mar 2022
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Baranof Island / Sitka, Alexander Archipelago, Alaska, United States, North America
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Tlingit
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 004730
label: USNM Number
content: E20785-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Helmet
physicalDescription: label: Diameter - Outer
content: 29.2 cm
label: Diameter - Inner
content: 21.6 cm
label: Height - Object
content: 24.1 cm