Bentwood Dish

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Pre-conservation
Bentwood Dish
Pre-conservation
Artist/Maker
Datebefore 1850
MediumWood and spruce root
DimensionsOverall: 4 1/2 × 9 1/4 × 6 5/8 in. (11.4 × 23.5 × 16.8 cm)
Credit LineTransferred from the Knox Hall of Natural History, Hamilton College
Object number1984.468
Not on view
DescriptionKerfing was an important technique used by the Native Americans of the Northwest Coast to produce watertight boxes. The process involved the precise scoring and steam heating of a continuous strip of wood, whereby the strip would be bent to form the sides of a box. The first and fourth sides were sewn or pegged together and a bottom added by sewing or pegging. This bent wood dish has carvings on all sides and is impregnated with fish or seal oil which exudes from the surface.
Collections

Additional Details

Exhibition History 2005
Clinton, NY (Fred L. Emerson Gallery, Hamilton College). "Hamilton Collects: A Century of Curiosities: The Story of the Hamilton College Collection," September 29 - December 30, 2005 (unnumbered cat.);

1985
Clinton, NY (Fred L. Emerson Gallery, Hamilton College). "Wonderful Heroes, Fearsome Creatures," November 2 - December 14, 1985 (cat. no. 14, illus. 27).
Provenance 1984: Hamilton College (Emerson Gallery), by transfer from the Anthropology Department;
? - 1984: Hamilton College (Anthropology Department), by transfer from the Knox Hall of Natural History;
by 1925: Hamilton College (Knox Hall of Natural History), by gift from an unknown donor (research pending).
Published References WONDERFUL HEROES FEARSOME CREATURES: ART OF THE NORTHWEST COAST exh. cat. (Clinton, NY: Fred L. Emerson Gallery, 1985), 27, illus. 27.
Inscribed Inscribed in ink on bottom at center: E81
Photograph by John Bentham.
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Thomas Nast
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