Click image to view full screen
Dagger (Gwálaa)
✓ Authenticity guarantee · ✓ Specialist condition report · ✓ Insured worldwide shipping · ✓ Private-room viewing
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 bear’s head over a supine human.
| Artist / Maker | Anonymous, Tlingit |
|---|---|
| Date | late 1800s–early 1900s |
| Culture / Origin | Native North America, Northwest Coast, Alaska, Tlingit |
| Medium | ivory, fiber, leather, metal (steel), shell |
| Dimensions | Overall: 3.8 x 4.8 cm (1 1/2 x 1 7/8 in.); Blade: 19.1 cm (7 1/2 in.) |
| Department | Art of the Americas |
| Type | Arms and Armor |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
Shipping & Collection
Fine-art shipping with climate control and full insurance to over 120 countries; collection by appointment.
Buying at Matchless Pieces
Register, verify your identity, and bid online or in a private room. Buyer’s premium and taxes are shown before you confirm.
