Exhibit Label

Wood was the prime material of Westcoast culture and, as much as any Northwest Coast peeople, the Makah excelled in the skills of woodwork. The hand adze, or D-adze, is a versatile and efficient tool for shaping almost any form and for fininshing surfaces. The adze itself perfectly exemplifies Northwest Coast wood sculpture with its easy combination of function and form. Here the extension of the handle both physically and aesthetically balances the blade. The pierced circle set in a teardrop recess suggests the eye of an animal's head with upturned snout, or, if inverted, a hook-beaked bird. (Holm, Spirit and Ancestor, 1987)