Hinkeet'sam—Wolf or Serpent
Dateca. 1930
Label TextThe headdress form is called hinkeet’sam, meaning “for around the head” because it is worn on top of the head and not over the face as a mask would be. Headdresses are made in pairs, sometimes with one worn by a woman and the other worn by a man. Both naturalistic and abstract elements may appear simultaneously, suggesting the ever-present unity of the natural and supernatural worlds.
Object number91.1.26
ProvenanceMicheal R. Johnson, Seattle, Washington, until 1971; John H. Hauberg, Seattle, Washington, 1971-1991; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington
Photo CreditPhoto: Paul Macapia
Credit LineGift of John H. Hauberg
Dimensions27 1/2 x 9 3/4 in. (69.9 x 24.8 cm)
MediumRed cedar, red cedar bark, and paint
First Nations, Nuu-chah-nulth, Hesquiat
ca. 1900
Object number: 91.1.70
First Nations, Nuu-chah-nulth, Hesquiat
late 19th century to first quarter 20th century
Object number: 92.119.1
First Nations, Nuu-chah-nulth, Hesquiat
late 19th century to first quarter 20th century
Object number: 92.119.2
First Nations, Nuu-chah-nulth, Hesquiat
late 19th century to first quarter 20th century
Object number: 92.122.1
First Nations, Nuu-chah-nulth, Hesquiat
late 19th century to first quarter 20th century
Object number: 92.122.2
First Nations, Nuu-chah-nulth, Hesquiat
late 19th century to first quarter 20th century
Object number: 92.120
First Nations, Nuu-chah-nulth, Hesquiat
late 19th century to first quarter 20th century
Object number: 92.121
First Nations, Nuu-chah-nulth, Hesquiat
late 19th to early 20th century
Object number: 92.123