1992
Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are related to crest symbols. Crests have been passed down through families and have varying meanings depending on the context and association with a nation, clan, or family. The figures depicted in contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous artwork also have varying meanings but there are some common characteristics from a range of sources, including oral histories and artist descriptions.
Canoe Masks are a type of Northwest Coast art representing figures on a canoe, rather than a mask worn on a face. They are often ceremonial objects, incorporating traditional crest figures and supernatural beings.
