northwest coast

9 posts

23 October 2023; Rockfish Plaque

Though the tribes of the Northwest Coast are often though of as great fishers of salmon, this plaque depicts a different species. The fish in the carving is a Rockfish, also called the Pacific Ocean Perch. Growing up to 40 pounds and having a slightly sweet taste, the Rockfish was […]

21 December 2020; Inuit Trade Dolls

In a previous post, we shared information on Inuit dolls made by young girls. But not all dolls were made by children. Adults often made dolls designed for the tourist trade. While the children’s work lacked a lot of artistic detail, the dolls made by adults for sale to the […]

14 September 2020; Kwakiutl Bumble Bee

This is a Bumble Bee (also called “The Scratcher”) mask from the Kwakiutl people of the Pacific Northwest. Often worn by children during the Potlatch ceremony, the Bee Dancers would provide some comic relief as they buzzed around the participants. Those that were “stung” by the bees would then be […]

20 November 2017; Kwakiutl Bumble Bee

This is a Bumble Bee (also called “The Scratcher”) mask from the Kwakiutl people of the Pacific Northwest. Often worn by children during the Potlatch ceremony, the Bee Dancers would provide some comic relief as they buzzed around the participants. Those that were “stung” by the bees would then be […]

2 February 2015; Rockfish Plaque

Though the tribes of the Northwest Coast are often though of as great fishers of salmon, this plaque depicts a different species. The fish in the carving is a Rockfish, also called the Pacific Ocean Perch. Growing up to 40 pounds and having a slightly sweet taste, the Rockfish was […]

17 February 2014; Soapstone Pictures

Soapstone is a wonderful medium for carving and is often used to create visages of animals. Because the stone is relatively soft, it ranks 1 out of 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. Its low density makes it a perfect medium for scratching line designs. The stone must first be […]

27 January 2014; Bumblebee Mask

This is a Bumble Bee (also called “The Scratcher) mask from the Kwakiutl people of the Pacific Northwest. Often worn by children during the Potlatch ceremony; the Bee Dancers would provide some comic relief as they buzzed around the participants. Those that were “stung” by the bees would then be […]

6 May 2013; Inuit Trade Dolls

In a previous post, we shared information on Inuit dolls made by young girls. But not all dolls were made by children. Adults often made dolls designed for the tourist trade. While the children’s work lacked a lot of artistic detail, the dolls made by adults for sale to the […]

8 April 2013; Inuit Doll Making

Inuit girls were taught at a very young age the basic skills needed to perform adult tasks. Those skills were learned by a child through the creation of her own set of dolls representing activities for every day life. Usually an older female relative helped the youngster master the skills […]