Hat
Maker: Kwakwaka’wakw
Medium:Spruce root, paint
Geography: North Vancouver Island and mainland, British Columbia, Canada
Date: late 19th-early 20th century
Object number: HN204
Gallery Location:Daphne Cockwell Gallery dedicated to First Peoples art & culture
DescriptionSpruce root hats, worn by chiefs and embellished with painted designs, are woven
on a stand with a wood form matching the desired hat size and shape. These hats
appeared in Russian engravings at the time of contact in the mid-18th century. By the
end of the 19th century, spruce root hats had become popular collectors’ items and were woven specifically for sale to non-Native visitors.
