Collection:
Juneau—Douglas City Museum
Object ID:
2007.09.001
Accession#:
2007.09
Credit Line:
Purchase of this artwork has been made possible through the generous support of the Rasmuson Foundation.
Object Name:
Headdress
Title:
Chilkat Gold Killer Whale Headdress
Artist — Creator:
Ehlers, Anna Brown (Kotchguun)
Date:
2004
Year Range from:
2004
Description:
Chilkat weave, Killer Whale Headdress

Chilkat style woven headdress with formline design depicting a killer whale. The totemic design is split so that it comes together at the tail and each side of the whale is represented facing away from the center. The primary formline is black. Secondary is white and tertiary formline is done in a light blue. There are accents done with gold thread that are woven into the design.

There are two leather bands on each side that would be used to secure it to a person's forehead. The reverse is white felt.
Notes:
This is the first weaving Anna Ehlers did with gold thread. The inspiration for using the thread came to her in a dream.

This headdress was worn by Rod Worl, who led the delegation of Southeast Natives in the First Americans Festival Procession on the national mall in Washington, DC in 2004. It appeared in an Anchorage Daily News photograph on Sep 22, 2004. Photo by Ryan K. Morris.
People:
Ehlers, Anna Brown
Worl, Rod
Search Terms:
Tlingit
Textile
weaving
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HeadressHeadress