Dish

Item number A8133 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Dark brown, canoe-shaped dish carved from a single piece of wood. Surfaces are covered with adze marks. The ends of the dish are slanted with slightly concave exteriors and convex interiors, while the longer sides of the dish have slightly convex exteriors and concave interior surfaces.

History Of Use

Barnett (1955) notes that bath-tub shaped dishes, like this one, are characteristic of the Straight of Georgia region. These dishes, which were generally made from one piece of hollowed out wood, were usually three to five feet in length. He noted that the smaller versions, like this one, were often used as oil dishes. Large dishes were used at feasts, and placed before one to three distinguished visitors, with the intent of making an imposing offering. Feasts and potlatches are usually held to celebrate a change in status of a family member. Guests are invited to witness, and thereby make legitimate events such as the transfer of a name. They are also held to celebrate marriages and as memorials for deceased family members.