Wooden Helmet, Old Style, Carved (Frog)

FROM CARD: "CUT FROM THE SOLID (BURL). CARVED TO REPRESENT THE FROG. CLOUD HAT CYLINDER MISSING. TRACES OF GREEN PAINT ONLY REMAIN. NEG. NO. 43,227-B (FRONT). 43,227-(PROFILE-RIGHT SIDE), 43,227-A (BOTTOM). LOANED: OSAKA EXPO-70 JULY 69 - JAN. 71. RETURNED TO COLLECTION DECEMBER 7, 1970." See apparently associated object E60216. December 1881 list in accession file lists the frog helmet as being accompanied by a neck shield.

Per Repatriation Office research, as reported in the Tlingit case report (Hollinger et al. 2005), in 1881 John J. McLean purchased this helmet from the Northwest Trading Company at an unknown location in Southeastern Alaska. Evidence supports a cultural affiliation between the Frog House of the Gaana xteidí clan of Klukwan.

McLean list in accession file identifies this object as Chilcat. It appears that Chilcat may be meant as a place name on this list, perhaps not specifically or exclusively as a culture name, similar to the way other objects in the collection are identified as Sitka, Kootzahoo, and Hoonia. Chilcat/Chilkat is a name sometimes used for Klukwan.

7 Jun 2023

1