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War helmet
Unrecorded Tlingit artist Native American
Not on view
Tlingit war helmets had carved spirit, ancestor, or clan crest figures that spiritually protected and empowered warriors. The carving on this example represents the red-breasted merganser, a swift and aggressive water bird. The wings of the merganser are executed in a broad formline design that wraps around the sides, sculpted as a subtle protrusion from the essential helmet shape. The pegged-in human hair extends and exaggerates the bird’s crest, lending the work a sense of animation.
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