A Rare Tlingit Polychromed Wood Clan Hat

of classic flaring form, the brim surmounted by a spotted frog or toad in a crouching position, its head upturned, with downturned mouth, thick lips, bulging eyes and arching brows, the lower jaw inset with a mask, masterfully carved with a human face, with lips pulled apart revealing teeth, "laugh-lines" radiating from the nose, and large rounded pupils beneath thick tapering eyebrows, the teeth and eyes inset with plaques of brilliant abalone shell, the whole painted in red, green and black pigments; the interior with fine tool markings and native repair in the form of a wood brace.

For a related example and discussion see Furst and Furst, 1982, p. 117, pl. 104, identified as Tlingit, circa 1820: “Another type of headgear that passed from generation to generation as supernatural treasure was the elaborately carved conical clan hat representing the group’s principal crest animal. The conical shape was similar to that of woven cedarbark hats, a form no doubt related to the characteristic conical straw hats common through much of Asia. Some hats were topped by a series of cedarbark rings, one each for the great ceremonies sponsored by the wearer and his or her family.

A prominent crest figure among the Tlingit is the frog, whose adoption as clan emblem by the ancestors is accounted for in several different family histories (Plate 104). This animal’s importance extends beyond inherited family or lineage property, however, for the frog was also a powerful supernatural helper of shamans and the animal manifestation of an earth deity variously called Mountain Woman, Copper Woman, Volcano Woman, and Weeping or Wailing Woman. The last of these names commemorates her sorrowful lament for her lost child, which, when it appeared by their cooking fire in the form of a frog, was thoughtlessly tossed into the flames by some arrogant young hunters. Piteously crying, Frog Woman searched high and low for her child. Discovering that its bones had been destroyed by the fire so that it could not be brought back to life, she destroyed the village of the culprits with a fiery lava flow which only one woman and her daughter survived.”

Also see Jonaitis, 1986, pp. 19-20: “The most important article of headgear owned by the northern Tlingit was the conical crest hat…[which] depicts a frog whose contained position parallels that of the frogs on the frog house posts. The conical crest hat was made either of wood…or of twined spruce-root basketry. When a nobleman wore such a headpiece, his face, painted with family-owned designs, was protected by his crest animal (Oberg 1973: 15; McClellan 1954: 88).”

p. 67

“The Tlingit do not consider the crest as simply an image, or a myth, or an object but, instead, as an intricate interconnection of these three aspects.

Every crest artwork, regardless of the images depicted on it, expressed the hierarchical structure of Tlingit society and served as a medium of reciprocal exchange. For example, when a family displayed its crest at a potlatch, it was actually presenting visual symbols of its power, prestige, wealth, and particularly its proud history. The more often the group presented its crest objects at potlatches, the more worth these objects accrued – and the greater the prestige of the family that owned them (de Laguna 1972: 451, 458).

The actual images of Tlingit crests included celestial bodies, such as the Big Dipper or the moon, natural formations such as glaciers or mountains, and a variety of land, sea and air animals (Swanton 1980: 417-18; de Laguna 1972: 451-57). Despite this wide assortment of crests, according to the Tlingit, the most important ones were those that depicted animals (Emmons, AMNH: notes; de Laguna 1972: 455).”

p. 75-76

“The  frog of Tlingit crests is not a frog at all, but the …toad Bufo boreas borea, an abundant species that one often sees during the day in summer (de Laguna 1972: 42).

The Tlingit are exceedingly frightened of “frogs”; they are horrified at the thought of touching one, and do not even like looking at photographs of them (de Laguna 1972: 42, 831). Emmons (Prov. Arch.: notes) describes how when the Tlingit encounter a frog on a path, they will stop until it has hopped on into the woods. The apparent reason for their terror of this animal is its association with witchcraft. According to Swanton (1980: 457), frogs exude a “slime” from their skin which “is thought to be very poisonous and fatal to smaller creatures” and that witches use in some way to make their victim’s eyes and mouth “bulge out like those of a frog” (p. 470).

There are a variety of frog crest myths. One Tluknaxadi story describes how ancestors of this clan were digging the foundation of a house and came across a frog frozen solid. This being came to life when it thawed out, and became a crest of that clan (de Laguna 1972: 273). The Kiksadi have numerous myths about frog, one of which tells how a man out halibut fishing became frightened when he captured a “giant frog” and released it. Later that night, frog returned to that man in a dream, and asked why he had let him go, since the animal wished to give him great wealth (Olson 1967: 39). A different Kiksadi story relates how a woman insulted Frog and was consequently tricked into marrying it when it presented itself to her in the form of a handsome man. That woman was ultimately killed. Another, quite similar Kiksadi myth tells of a woman who insulted frog, married it, and ended up having it killed (Swanton 1909: 53-54, 236-37).”

p. 98

“The Tlingit, who organized themselves into hierarchies, organized their artworks into hierarchies as well. In their ranking of headgear, the conical hats assumed a high position on the scale…"

p. 111-112

“The frog alludes to another event in Ganaxtedi history, but one that occurred in the relatively recent past; perhaps as late as the early 19^th century. Apparently, when this clan arrived at Klukwan, those who were to become the members of the Frog house settled into a “temporary” structure. Although other houses already owned assortments of emblems in addition to the raven, the Frog house did not. To rectify this lack, one of their members went on a voyage to the south in search of an additional emblem. After traveling about a good deal, he arrived at Sitka where he met his grandfather who happened to be a Kiksadi, which is another prestigious raven clan. One of the principal crests of the Kiksadi was the frog, which had been obtained in remote times when an ancestor of that clan had encountered a frog that provided him with wealth. When the grandfather asked his grandson what crest he desired, the latter answered that Frog would please him greatly. The Kiksadi then presented his Ganaxtedi visitor with a small frog carving that signified his right to use that image in his art. When the Klukwan man returned home, he had several artworks made depicting this new crest, including the four Frog posts and two Frog hats; at this point, the principal clan emblems of the Frog house were completed and the structure was properly dedicated.”

Also see Collins, et. al., 1977, p. 167: “…as the Tlingit moved up through southeastern Alaska, their clans continued to acquire new crests. A common theme running through all of these newer crest acquisitions is a continuing interaction with anthropomorphized animals who were either insulted or befriended.

In many respects Tlingit art may be seen as a representation of social organization. This is most clearly seen in Tlingit moiety and clan crests. Tlingit society was divided into two matrilineal, exogamous moieties. These moieties were known among the northern tribes as Raven and Eagle, whereas among the southern tribes, Eagle was replaced by Wolf. In a matrilineal society, descent is reckoned exclusively from a common ancestress. Every Tlingit is by birth a member of his or her mother’s clan and moiety. The two Tlingit moieties may be seen as marriage classes and each one contained about thirty-five matrilineal clans. These clans were scattered throughout the fourteen Tlingit tribes. Each clan of matrilineal related kinsmen owned an inventory of crests, house names, personal names (that were really inherited titles), songs and dances. The minimal unit of a clan in any given tribe was a named house or lineage. Clansmen of the Raven moiety had to marry non-Ravens and vice-verse.

Some of the most frequently represented crests of the Raven moiety are the raven, hawk, puffin, sea gull, land otter, mouse, moose, sea lion, marten, whale, dog salmon, silver salmon, coho salmon, sculpin, starfish, frog and wood-worm.”

For other related examples see: Mauer, 1977, p. 307, no. 482, Museum of Natural History, Princeton University, PU 5144, identified as Tlingit; Duff, 1981, p. 210, Fig. 1, National Museum of Man, Canada, VII-C-91 identified as Tsimshian and p. 211, fig. 3, National Museum of Man, Canada, VII-C-1768, identified as Tsimshian.