Loon hat (kágeit s’aaxw)

ca. 1830

Tlingit

Elegant headgear, like this crest hat, were worn as emblems of high-born families during ceremonial feasts or potlatches. The long necked bird appears to be a loon sporting a beaked nose carved on its breast. Wing feathers are indicated in formline designs on the sides of the hat.

Alder wood, abalone sheel, paint, and nails

10 5/8 x 15 x 7 1/2 in. (26.99 x 38.1 x 19.05 cm)

Gift of John H. Hauberg

91.1.114

Not currently on view

Resources

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

Published ReferencesThe Spirit Within: Northwest Coast Native Art from the John H. Hauberg Collection, Seattle Art Museum, 1995, pg. 34

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