Northern wooden spoons are typically carved from a section of a small tree, using almost the entire cylinder of the wood. The shallow S-profile of the spoon runs through the block in such a way that the center of the tree is visible at two places in the spoon, once in the bowl near the tip and again at the base of the handle. This means that the wood grain at the tip and in the handle lies at an angle to the spoon's surface; when it is carved very thin, as here, the spoon is quite fragile. This spooon is one of three in the collection of the Burke Museum. Lieutenant George Emmons, who collected this spoon, identified the creature on it as a petrel. (Holm, Spirit and Ancestor, 1987)

This dish exemplifies the extravagance of Kwakwaka'wakw ceremonial utensils. A typical feast dish, it is conceived of as a large sculptured animal, in this case a wolf, hollowed to receive the food it is to serve. Dishes of this sort belonged to the owner of a house and were accounted for in the origin myths of the family. They were highly valued and used only on occasions of great feasts. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)

The paint is black, red, green, white, yellow, and brown.

The paint is red, black, green, and white.

Throughout the Northwest Coast, the raven takes a prominent place in mythology and art. It is important to note, however, that these representations are not all of the same mythical being. This mask depicts Gwagwakhwalanooksiwey, the man-eating raven who lives with the cannibal spirit in his great house in the mountains or at the north end of the world. An unusual feature distinguishes this particular raven mask. Typically, hamatsa masks of the early twentieth century are painted black with white eyesockets and red lips and nostrils. The use of orange paint and green paint around the eyes is known but rather uncommon. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)