Carving on halibut hooks is often simple and rough. Very likely the fisherman himself does the carving, and only if he happens incidentally to be an artist is it expertly designed and finished. The figures are meant to be seen only by the halibut, and their magical power is more important than any artistic excellence. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)

Found directly in front of the Burke Museum, this is a replica of a grave monument in Howkan, Alaska. Called "Single Fin", the original monument was commissioned around 1880 by Moses Koohl-Keet as a memorial to his uncle, head of Brown Bear House, a branch of the Quetas Ravens. It was carved by John Wallace, then a young man. In 1985, Koohl-keet's relatives witnessed the unveiling of the replica at the Burke Museum's 100th anniversary. Curator Emeritus Bill Holm, carved it based on photographs of the Howkan whale, and on the original fin, which is in the Burke Museum's ethnology collection (cat. no. 1-1682).

The paint is red.

The pigment is red.