Gift of Miss Mary Forbush Failing.

Gift of the Ernest Erickson Foundation

Mask in the form of an animal, possibly a wolf, dog or bear, with separate pointed ear attachments (the proper left ear has a section missing) and a protruding snout. It is painted with black, red, and white pigments. Under the chin is a white leather tassel that is secured by a knot inside. On both sides of the mask are holes, probably for wearer to secure object. There are two holes in the eyes and nose. The mouth is partially open revealing two sets of sharp teeth towards the front. The object is in fair and stable condition. There are nine reattached fragments along the proper left edge as well as two reattached fragments at the top of the head. There are indications of old insect damage and loss of wood around the mask's edges and base. The leather tassel is dry. Note: although this photogrpah show the mask as 'blue' the paint has darkened to where it looks black. Would be a good conservation example to clean.

Wooden mask of talking man with moveable mouth that opens to show teeth. Copper plate on forehead. Tuft of fiber on top of head. Ruffle of raffia painted red around mouth area. Black pigment on cheeks and above the forehead area to represent hair. Has metal eyebrows and low-sloping mouth.

The object is a bent-corner, box-shaped feast bowl having a bear's face with protruding tongue on one end and its tail on the other. The second face on the bear's tail is a visual pun. The object is in fair and stable condition. Although the wood appears to be extruding oil in some areas more than others, the wood is stable. There are several minor cracks on two of the sides of the bowl which are stable. Previous repairs to the side corners remain secure. The join on through the large face where a break was repaired appears firm and stable. According to Robin Wright, Burke Museum, April 16, 2003, this is not Haida because the eye socket lines run right out to the lips of the bear, which is distinctively Tlingit. She added that if the Tlingit still owned the piece, they would have cleaned up the oil and darkened color.

item is from the Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection

item is from the Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection

From card: "Cedar bark."Original label attached to artifact says "Jessie Matthews [presumably the maker or original owner?], Jackson, Alaska." Jackson is an alternate name for Howkan, Alaska, which is a Haida town.Listed on page 41 in "The Exhibits of the Smithsonian Institution at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, California, 1915", in section "Arts of the Northwest Coast Tribes".

Original label attached to artifact says "Janie Vandal [presumably the maker or original owner?], Jackson, Alaska." Jackson is an alternate name for Howkan, Alaska, which is a Haida town.

FROM CARD: "SECTION OF TREE TRUNK, HOLLOWED OUT IN THE BACK, WITH 3 CONTRASTING SURFACES, THE NATURAL, WITH BLACK AND MEDIUM RED USED TO ACCENTUATE PARTS OF THE FIGURES. THIS POLE HAS BEEN REPRODUCED BY ALVA STUDIOS, NEW YORK, FOR SALE. LENT TO THE MUSEO NACIONAL DE ANTROPOLOGIA, MAY 18, 1964." Loan returned 2012.Information from Robin K. Wright, Burke Museum, 4-12-2012: I believe the model pole is Kaigani Haida, and am thinking it might have been carved by Dwight Wallace (or possibly John Wallace). I think it's a model based on one of corner posts of Duncan Ginaawaan's house in Klinkwan, AK, pictured in my book Northern Haida Master Carvers. It has a bear instead of the humanoid bear holding what I think is the woman in the moon, but the other bear figures and squared ears, and especially portrait-like woman below are very similar. John Wallace later copied this pole full sized for the Hydaburg Totem Park as part of the CCC project.