COLLECTOR'S DOCUMENTATION:
"Native cap of ermine skins and beads"

-William Fisher

REMARKS:
This headdress collected on the Alaska Peninsula in 1883 combines spiritually powerful land and sea predators -- ermine and pelagic cormorant -- in a ceremonial headdress. Three ermines with beads attached to their jaws, nostrils, and ears project from the brim over an elaborate beaded brow panel. The ermine skins are quilted into a base of cormorant skins, and red wool and grey hair tassels hang from the sides of the headdress. Beaded pendants "obstruct" the danceršs vision, a necessary requirement for certain dances. Obstructed vision is also a characteristic of Siberian shaman hats.

-William Fitzhugh & Aron Crowell (1988)

CATALOG NUMBER:

90451

OBJECT TYPE:

ermine hat with beaded pendants

ACCESSION NO.:

14024 (1884)

YEAR COLLECTED:

1883

FIELD NUMBER:

97

GROUP NAME:

Ugaasarmuit

GROUP NAME RECORDED BY FISHER:

probably UGASHAGMJUT

LOCATION:

Ugaasaq (Ugashik)

LOCATION RECORDED BY FISHER:

UGASHAK

NATIVE LANGUAGE TERM:

unidentified

NATIVE LANGUAGE TERM RECORDED BY FISHER:

LAF-KA-SHOK

DIMENSIONS:

H=38 cm