PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Vancouver

Although it is not known which First Nations people produced this work, the Haida carved animal-form bowls, often in argillite, and the earliest argillite pieces were based on delicate wooden bowls used for eulachon oil. The carving of animal-form bowls by the Haida took place over a long period of time, even into the twentieth century. Whatever its cultural source, this otter bowl was likely produced in the nineteenth century, as a trade piece. In the First Nations bestiary, the otter symbolizes friendship, peace and family, and in legend, it was the giver of great fortunes. Only tribal nobility wore its fur. As the sea otter often naturally floats on its back, grasping items to eat such as sea urchins and using rocks as tools to crack their shells, the form of the otter is a fitting choice for a bowl that would contain food. This bold carving features a deep bowl, and its shape follows the sleek and graceful form of this playful and curious sea mammal.

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