Bowl

Unknown

ca. 1780–1810 · Wood · The American Wing

One of the most prized products from a successful hunt was the fat from whales, seals, and fish, especially eulachon (candlefish). Used to give flavor and additional calories to foods, these oils remain an essential part of the Tsimshian culinary repertoire. This bowl once held eulachon oil and features the projecting head of a bird, possibly a raven. Such a finely detailed dish would have been reserved for important guests during a potlatch ceremony or other feasting occasion. The carver has imbued his quotidian creation with an otherworldly essence: a face, whose gaping mouth forms the rim, is apparent when viewed from above.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1780–1810

Medium

Wood

Culture

Tsimshian, Native American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection of Native American Art, Gift of Charles and Valerie Diker, 2019