Wood

Historic Bentwood Box
Artist Unknown (Northern Coastal)

Salish Model Pole
Artist Unknown (Salish) (Salish)

Pole says "Alert Bay 1959" on the backside and "Alert Bay 1958" on the bottom of the base. This p...

Pole says "Alert Bay 1959" on the backside and "Alert Bay 1958" on the bottom of the base. This piece was likely collected in Alert Bay, but is distinctly Salish in style. It's supposed that the piece was purchased from one of a few curio-tourist style shops, many of which carried works from artists of varying Nations along the coast. 

Nuu-chah-nulth Model Pole
Artist Unknown (Nuu-chah-nulth)

Nuu-chah-nulth Model Pole
Artist Unknown (Nuu-Chah-Nulth) (Nuu-chah-nulth)

Thunderbird and Bear Model Pole
Tom Moses (Salish)

Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are...

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.Thunderbird i...

Sea-Monster Canoe Bowl
Artist Unknown (Kwakwaka'wakw)

c. 1880To watch Kwakwaka'wakw community curators Barb Cranmer and William Wasden Jr. discuss the ...

c. 1880To watch Kwakwaka'wakw community curators Barb Cranmer and William Wasden Jr. discuss the significance of 'Namxxelagayu (Sea Monster) click here."A wide variety of animal imagery appear on dishes and bowls, and hosts of potlatches compiled large collections of dishware featuring crests of both family and clan" (Shearar 2000: 38) Understanding Northwest Coast Art: A Guide to Crests, Beings and Symbols

Canoe Bowl
Artist Unknown (Kwakwaka'wakw)

Raven Halibut Hook
Artist Unknown (Northern Coastal)

Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are...

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.Raven is one ...