МАЭ № 2520-19

Woven hat

Chugach

early 19th century

spruce root, paint, beads, amber, sinew, cotton thread, coloured glass beads

height 16.8 cm, diameter of the brim 41.5 cm, diameter of the crown 11 cm

Judging by the quantity and quality of the beads, this hat must have belonged to a powerful leader. At the top of the crown and at the strap are sewn clusters of amber beads that were considered to be the most expensive and coveted type of ornamentation among the Alutiit. The zoomorphic face on the crown of the hat most likely represents a beaver. On the sides are masks with red streaks that symbolize the paws of an animal.

Ethnography of America