Bowl

Unknown

ca. 1750–1800 · Wood, shell, and pigment · The American Wing

During potlatch feasts across the Northwest Coast, food is served in a variety of carved wooden bowls. Guests receive bowls sized according to their position in the community—the higher the rank, the larger the bowl. Artists imbue serving dishes with energy through graphic elements, including abstract humans, animals, and supernatural beings. The master carver of this deep container inlaid the incurving rim with four sets of nine white opercula—the removable coverings that secure a marine mollusk’s shell—which contrast with the dark wood. This bowl is a rare example of an early contact-period style of ornamentation, not yet influenced by trade with European expeditionary forces.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1750–1800

Medium

Wood, shell, and pigment

Culture

Tlingit, Native American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection of Native American Art, Promised Gift of Charles and Valerie Diker