Bowl

ca. 1780–1810
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 746
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.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bowl
  • Date: ca. 1780–1810
  • Geography: Made in British Columbia, Canada
  • Culture: Tsimshian, Native American
  • Medium: Wood
  • Dimensions: 4 × 5 3/4 × 7 in. (10.2 × 14.6 × 17.8 cm)
  • Credit Line: The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection of Native American Art, Gift of Charles and Valerie Diker, 2019
  • Object Number: 2019.456.23
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.