Naas shagl yell s'aaxw (Raven at the Headwaters of Nass hat)

ca. 1810

Gaanax'adi clan

Taku

Native American, Kadyisdu.axch', Tlingit, Kiks.adi clan

active late 18th - early 19th century

Native American

Tlingit

Clan hats are the ultimate expression of complex shared histories and feature prominently in potlatches. Both Raven and Eagle clans display such treasures on opposite tables, to comfort those in mourning. The host family and guests might be ritually dressed in headgear and robes, then would dance when the song associated with the hat is sung.

Maple, paint, shell, hair, baleen

8 1/2 x 7 x 12 in. (21.59 x 17.78 x 30.48 cm)

Gift of John H. Hauberg

91.1.125

Photo: Paul Macapia

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Native Visions: Northwest Coast Art, 18th Century to the Present, October 1, 1998 - January 31, 1999

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, The Box of Daylight, September 15, 1983 - January 8, 1984

Published ReferencesHorn, Robyn; Matthew Kangas, Kevin Wallace, Bellevue Art Museum, Michael Peterson: Evolution/Revolution, p. 20

Selected Works, Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1991, p. 78

The Spirit Within: Northwest Coast Native Art from the John H. Hauberg Collection, Seattle Art Museum, 1995, pg. 30

Brown, Steven C., Native Visions: Evolution in Northwest Coast Art from the Eighteenth Through the Twentieth Century, Seattle Art Museum, 1998, pg. 33

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

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