Artwork Page for Dagger (Gwálaa)

Details / Information for Dagger (Gwálaa)

Dagger (Gwálaa)

late 1800s–early 1900s

Native North America, Northwest Coast, Alaska, Tlingit

Medium
Metal, shell, leather, fiber, ivory or horn
Measurements
Overall: 2.5 x 6 cm (1 x 2 3/8 in.); Blade: 21 cm (8 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of J. H. Wade 1916.719
Public Domain
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Location
231 Native North American
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Description

After Europeans introduced firearms, the Indigenous Northwest Coast dagger transformed from a weapon into a status symbol worn in a sheath that hung from the neck. That may be the case with this example, which depicts a head surmounted by a fish, perhaps a salmon.

Dagger (Gwálaa)

late 1800s–early 1900s

Native North America, Northwest Coast, Alaska, Tlingit

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