Front cap

One of the most spectacular examples of crest art on the Northwest Coast is the chief’s dance headdress. As ^Holm1 cites, it consisted of a carved wooden frontlet of the type shown here, attached to the front of a cylindrical whalebone frame. The frame, which held a skin cap, was decorated with ermine skins hanging from the sides and back. These headdresses considerably enhanced the stature of the wearer. They were worn on formal occasions, such as potlatch gatherings, where all participants wished to emphasize their status and the abundance of their resources.

Our headdress depicts an eagle with a gaping beak encircling a humanoid head, the bird’s wings framing the hands and body of this small figure. The base of the headdress is covered with red pigment, the sculpture is enhanced with blue and black pigment, and small plates of abalone are inlaid in the wood.

Highly prized by West Coast natives, these mother-of-pearl inlays accentuated the eyes and rim of the mask, reflecting off the firelight when a dancer wore the frontlet. This radiance was interpreted as the tangible manifestation of the supernatural power invested in the chiefs who held the privilege of wearing this type of headdress. Some of the plates are replacements and appear to be old pendants that have been adapted for use as inlays.

The eagle represented the coat of arms of the wearer’s family. These coats of arms, justified by a mythical or historical event, were closely linked to status, and wearing them was a privilege.

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1- Bill Holm, 1983. The Box of Daylight: Northwest Coast Indian Art
Seattle Art Museum / University of Washington Press, Seattle, pp. 18-24

– Photo caption from left to right: Chief Ninstints (Tom Price) and Chief Gaowtlins (John Robson). Author unknown, circa 1884. Canadian Museum of History Gatineau, Quebec.

Price on request