Dagger (Gwálaa)
Unknown Artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
Medium
Metal, shell, leather, fiber, ivory or horn
Dimensions
w. 2.5 cm, d. 6 cm, l. 40.4 cm · blade: l. 21 cm
Classification
Arms and Armor
Department
Art of the Americas
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of J. H. Wade
Accession Number
1916.719
About this artwork
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 head surmounted by a fish, perhaps a salmon.