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Seal Effigy Bowl

CultureHaida, British Columbia, Canada
Dateca. 1850
MediumWood and opercula shells
DimensionsOverall: 6 1/4 × 8 1/4 × 15 1/2 inches (15.88 × 20.96 × 39.37 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust
Object number31-125/34
On View
On view
Gallery Location
  • 206
Gallery Label
Bowls carved in the image of a seal with arched back and extended head and rear flippers were the favored containers for seal oil of northern Northwest Coast peoples. The bowl's form paid homage to the life and spirit of the animals that were the source of this essential food, which was eaten as an accompaniment to dried fish. The dark, glossy surface of infused grease is evidence of long use. Opercula shells, inlaid along the wide, low-curving, undercut rim, serve to emphasize its graceful sweep.
Provenance

Lieutenant George T. Emmons (1852-1945), by 1920 [1];

Purchased from Emmons by the Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation, New York, no. 98026, 1920-1931 [2];

Transferred from the Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation, New York, to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1931 [3].

NOTES:

[1] National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, object documentation, accession lot 1920.0164.

[2] The Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation was founded in 1916 by George Heye (1874-1957) and opened to the public in New York City in 1922. In 1989, the remaining collection was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution and became part of the National Museum of the American Indian.

[3] In 1931 the Nelson-Atkins co-sponsored two archaeological expeditions with the Heye Foundation: one to Colombia that was directed by Gregory Mason, and a second to the Orinoco River region of Venezuela, directed by Herbert S. Dickey. The partage agreement between the two institutions specified that if the value of the found objects did not match the dollar amount invested by the Nelson-Atkins, the Heye Foundation would transfer objects from its own collection to the Nelson-Atkins to make up the difference, while also giving the Nelson-Atkins an opportunity to purchase additional objects from the Heye Foundation. When the archaeological excavations failed to meet expectations, this was one of a group of objects that were transferred/purchased from the Heye Foundation’s collection to the Nelson-Atkins.

Published References
Torrence, Gaylord, ed. Continuum: North American Native Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Kansas City: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information, is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image, please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.


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