Hairpiece

Hairpiece or hair ornament that attaches to a hair braid. Cut and painted to represent a killer whale, which may have been one of the shaman's helping spirits (Kaplan and Barsness, 1986 p. 198). The base for the ornament is a length of black hair wrapped at both ends with a segment of swan skin with white, down feathers. The middle and lower sections of the hair have pieces of animal hide attached to form the body of a killer whale. The hide pieces are painted with black, green, and red designs, including a face at the base of the tail fin. In the center of the ornament, a wooden crest is attached bearing a killer whale's face. The crest has a hole drilled through which identifies the whale.