1884.68.60

Collection type

Object

Description

Small bowl in the form of a seabird made from elk horn.

Long description

Small bowl in the form of a seabird made from elk horn. The bowl is made from a single piece of horn. At one end, the horn has been carved into the three dimensional shape of a seabird's head with eyes and beak clearly visible. The sides of the bowl have been steamed and moulded to form the body of the bird. The exterior is incised with formline designs. The other end of the bowl has been steamed and moulded to form the tip of the wings and tail of the bird. There is a small hole in the centre of the tail. The interior of the bowl is smooth and undecorated. [CAK 15/03/2010]

Geographical reference

Canada

Northern America > North America > Canada

British Columbia Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) NW Coast

Cultural groups

Haida

Person

Maker Unknown Maker

Field collector Unknown Collector

PRM source Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection

Date / Period

Date made: Before 1874

Date collected

By 1874

Acquisition information

Donated: 1884

Materials and processes

Material Elk Horn Animal, Process Carved, Process Steamed, Process Moulded, Process Perforated

Dimensions

Length: max 140 mm

Object numbers

Accession number: 1884.68.60 PR Cat other PR nos: 2156? PR Cat other PR nos: 2158

Research and responses

The following information comes from Haida delegates who worked with the museum’s collection in September 2009 as part of the project “Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge”:

This small bowl was viewed alongside other horn and wood vessels on Wednesday Sept 9, 2009. In response to the material - elk horn - delegates noted that elk were introduced to Haida Gwaii in the late 1800s. There were also caribou. The form was identified as a seabird more generally, rather than a duck specifically. Rather than a bowl, Nadine Wilson proposed this tiny vessel could have been used as a scoop. Christian White commented on design similarities between the U-shape and bevelled ovoid line carved in this vessel and that carved on 1891.49.96. [Cara Krmpotich note: it should also be noted that a unique bevelled ovoid was identified on bowl 1884.68.59.] Jaalen Edenshaw drew a comparison between this vessel and a duck amulet made of ivory featured in Robin Wright's book "Northern Haida Master Carvers" [see Fig 2.2, page 28, "Ivory bird, a woman's neck ornament, collected by Juan Perez near k'yuust'aa, July 1774, 6.9 by 4.3 cm. Museo de America, Madrid, Spain, cat. no. 13.042"]. Diane Brown provided the Haida term for horn duck and mallard duck: xaa. Lucille Bell wondered if the little hole in its tail allowed it to be hung on a wall. [CAK 15/03/2010]

Associated publications

Reproduced in colour on page 81 of the exhibition catalogue 'From the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr in British Columbia' edited by Sarah Milroy and Ian Dejardin, published 2014 by Art Gallery Ontario and Dulwich Picture Gallery. With the caption 'Duck Bowl, Northern Northwest Coast (Haida), 19th century. Elk horn'. [FB 29/10/2014]

Search terms: Figure, Vessel, Food and Drink, Bowl, Bird Figure, Food Accessory