09/06/2025
Beautiful work from Haida Gwaii❤️
“My mother used to weave baskets and hats all winter long. When she was going to start her weaving she soaked the roots overnight, so they’d be easy to work. She’d get up early in the morning and cook and after everyone was finished eating, she’d go to work splitting the roots again and weaving them into a hat or basket. She worked all day long, day after day.…It was just like having a business. When she finished a hat she put it in a dark place and then my dad would paint a design on it.”—Florence Edenshaw Davidson, 1982
This spruce root hat in our collection was a family affair. It was made by Florence's famed parents Kwii.aang (Isabella Edenshaw) and Da.axiigang (Charles Edenshaw). Isabella was a master weaver, and Charles was a master woodcarver, painter, and jewelry maker. The Edenshaws were a prominent and prosperous family from Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. They had eleven children, but only four survived to adulthood: Florence, Emily, Agnes, and Nora. Today, many of their descendants are artists in their own right, keeping traditional knowledge alive and passing it on to future generations.
Florence's grandson, Robert Davidson is known for his totem poles and masks, printmaking, painting, and jewelry as well. About this hat he shares, "This spruce root hat woven by Isabella Edenshaw demonstrates great knowledge and craftsmanship that was developed over the centuries. There are multiple layers of creativity happening here. First, to gather the roots, which can only be found in sandy areas. Second, the labor-intensive preparation of the roots. Third, creating the shape of the hat. And fourth, the pattern created within the weaving.
The beautiful Raven painting done by Isabella’s husband, Charles, adds dimension to the shape. It is always exciting to examine her subtle creativity woven into her hats, baskets, and mats. Her mastery and attention to detail are absolutely flawless and inspiring to the viewer."
Visitors can see this hat at our New York City museum in the ongoing exhibition "Infinity of Nations" which presents more than 200 objects of cultural, historical, and aesthetic importance. Learn more from home with our online version of the exhibit. https://s.si.edu/461Gbzq
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Kwii.aang (Isabella Edenshaw, Haida, 1858–1926) and Da.axiigang (Charles Edenshaw, Haida, 1839–1920), spruce-root hat, ca. 1900. Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), British Columbia. Cedar bark, spruce root, paint. 21 x 43 cm. E. M. Brodhurst Collection. 19/6110
