Bowl

Unknown

ca. 1800 · Maple · The American Wing

An artist carved this large feast bowl to hold consecrated food for religious ceremonies in the early nineteenth century. The abstract human head emerging from the rim represents a manitou, a powerful supernatural being. As a sculptural form, the bowl is distinguished by a finely proportioned, elongated shape; gently curving wall; delicate rim; tightly patterned wood grain; and rich, glowing color.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1800

Medium

Maple

Culture

Anishinaabe, probably Ottawa, 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