Deerskin case [.1] with carved ivory toggle, containing set of wooden gambling stick [.2 - .59] decorated with red and black rings of various sizes. [CAK 27/05/2009]

Collection type: Object
Description: Deerskin case [.1] with carved ivory toggle, containing set of wooden gambling stick [.2 - .59] decorated with red and black rings of various sizes. [CAK 27/05/2009]
Long description: Deerskin case [.1] with carved ivory toggle, containing set of wooden gambling stick [.2 - .59] decorated with red and black rings of various sizes. The case is sewn from two pieces of deerskin. One piece forms the front, bottom, back, sides and front flap of the square pouch. Stitching is visible on the exterior of the pouch down each side. The second piece is much thinner and is sewn to the front flap to provide a wrap or tie that can be wound around the pouch. At the end of this second piece is an ivory toggle carved with formline designs. The toggle is perforated and the deerskin passed through and knotted to keep the toggle in place. The sticks are each carved from a single piece of wood. They are rounded and smoothly carved. The grain of the wood is visible. The sticks are decorated with red and or black rings of various thicknesses and patterns. [CAK 07/07/2009]
Geographical reference: Canada
Northern America > North America > Canada; British Columbia Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) NW Coast
Cultural groups: Haida
Person: Field collector Francis Fox Tuckett; PRM source Anna Rebecca Tylor
Date / Period: Date made: Before 1917
Date collected: By 1917
Acquisition information: Donated: 1917
Materials and processes: Material Deer Skin Animal, Material Wood Plant, Material Pigment, Material Animal Ivory Tooth, Process Stitched, Process Painted, Process Carved
Dimensions: Length: max 122 mm, Width: max 175 mm
Object numbers: Accession number: 1917.53.480.1 Accession number: 1917.53.480.2 Accession number: 1917.53.480.3 Accession number: 1917.53.480.4 Accession number: 1917.53.480.5 Accession number: 1917.53.480.6 Accession number: 1917.53.480.7 Accession number: 1917.53.480.8 Accession number: 1917.53.480.9 Accession number: 1917.53.480.10 Accession number: 1917.53.480.11 Accession number: 1917.53.480.12 Accession number: 1917.53.480.13 Accession number: 1917.53.480.14 Accession number: 1917.53.480.15 Accession number: 1917.53.480.16 Accession number: 1917.53.480.17 Accession number: 1917.53.480.18 Accession number: 1917.53.480.19 Accession number: 1917.53.480.20 Accession number: 1917.53.480.21 Accession number: 1917.53.480.22 Accession number: 1917.53.480.23 Accession number: 1917.53.480.24 Accession number: 1917.53.480.25 Accession number: 1917.53.480.26 Accession number: 1917.53.480.27 Accession number: 1917.53.480.28 Accession number: 1917.53.480.29 Accession number: 1917.53.480.30 Accession number: 1917.53.480.31 Accession number: 1917.53.480.32 Accession number: 1917.53.480.33 Accession number: 1917.53.480.34 Accession number: 1917.53.480.35 Accession number: 1917.53.480.36 Accession number: 1917.53.480.37 Accession number: 1917.53.480.38 Accession number: 1917.53.480.39 Accession number: 1917.53.480.40 Accession number: 1917.53.480.41 Accession number: 1917.53.480.42 Accession number: 1917.53.480.43 Accession number: 1917.53.480.44 Accession number: 1917.53.480.45 Accession number: 1917.53.480.46 Accession number: 1917.53.480.47 Accession number: 1917.53.480.48 Accession number: 1917.53.480.49 Accession number: 1917.53.480.50 Accession number: 1917.53.480.51 Accession number: 1917.53.480.52 Accession number: 1917.53.480.53 Accession number: 1917.53.480.54 Accession number: 1917.53.480.55 Accession number: 1917.53.480.56 Accession number: 1917.53.480.57 Accession number: 1917.53.480.58 Accession number: 1917.53.480.59
Research and responses: Francis Fox Tuckett was the relative by marriage of Anna Tylor. [AP 8/9/2015]
The following information comes from Haida delegates who worked with the museum’s collection in September 2009 as part of the project “Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge”:
This gambling set was viewed alongside other gambling sets on Monday Sept 14, 2009. Christian White thought the toggle on the case was a lucky charm. He reported making a set of 48 gambling sticks himself. Billy Yovanovich described how the game was played: Each player has their own set of sticks. The aim of the game is to find the blank stick, called a djil. To win, you need to gain 8 continuous points in a row. A point is won each time a player correctly guesses which of his opponent's hands holds the djil. Players (usually two) each have a team behind them who cheer them on and cause distraction to the opponents. The game involves the art of distraction, slight of hand and cheating. Some sticks would be marked with decorations or teeth marks so that the person holding them might be able to tell which stick they were holding without looking. Jaalen Edenshaw and Kristy Alsop played a few rounds using the set, and exchanging sterling coins. Three videos of the gambling match can be found on the Haida Project Digital Archive. [CAK 13/05/2010]
Associated publications: Illustrated in black and white being played as figure 3.8 on page 111 of 'This is our life: Haida material heritage and changing museum practice' by Cara Krmpotich and Laura Peers, UBC Press 2013 with the caption 'Nika Collison (left) sings and encourages delegate Krisy Alsop (centre) in gambling match against Jaalen Edenshaw. Photograph by Laura Peers.' The game involving the gambling sticks is discussed further on pages 111 - 113. [FB 07/01/2014]

Search terms: Toy and Game, Bag, Game, Gaming Piece