Steel and copper fighting knives were common accessories for Tlinglit men in the nineteenth century, as interclan feuds and warfare were common and often deadly.

Large, one-piece steel or iron daggers with elaborated pommels
(such as the killer whale dagger in this collection) were made as clan heirlooms, and represented the weapons of warriors who had given their full measure in defense of clan interests and survival. Beautifully made yet less elaborate examples such as this one were made and worn by individual clan members as weapons of self-defense.

The finely carved eagle’s head at the pommel of this dagger indicates the clan of its owner, and is a symbol of both the man’s ancestors and contemporary relatives, for whom he would fight and defend his and their honor.

The blade of this knife was forged in the traditional native style, with twin sharpened edges and a defined ridge down its center. The blade has a narrow tang that is bound between the two halves of the wooden grip, one side of which is attached to the carved pommel. The grip is wrapped with a rawhide strip that both secures the pommel to the blade and also provides a firm reliable grip for the hand.

The bird’s head is set in a dynamic angle to the blade, and the sculpture depicts an eagle with fierce expression, even including indications of numerous teeth set within the mandibles. These, the eyes, ears (or crest feathers), and nostril are set with iridescent abalone shell, a sign of the wealth of trade and high cultural status.

Such a dagger would have originally been worn in a sheath with shoulder strap, made of either tanned hide or cloth, and possibly embroidered with either bead or quillwork, though many were simple and unembellished. Few such sheaths, however, have survived with their daggers.


Provenance: Collected by Emmons, Heye Foundation