Tommy Joseph’s Tlingit war helmets alone could have made up an entire art exhibit: intricately carved out of wood, then painted or covered with fur, and embellished with abalone, copper or oppercula shell, the helmets are true pieces of wearable art. Carved in the style of their predecessors — and including elements a viewer can’t see, such as a divet for the wearer’s nose on the inside and a mouth piece — the helmets were the first piece of Tlingit armor Joseph carved, back in 2004, when he was inspired by the 200th anniversary of the Battles of 1804 in Sitka, where he lives.
