The paint is commercial. The twine is commercial.

This small chest has been identified as a gambler's box. If so, the box was probably intended to hold rolled skin containers and painted gambling sticks, the shredded cedar bark in which they were shuffled, and the mat under which the sticks were shuffled and on which they were thrown for display. On the other hand, the box is the size and shape of well-documented shamans' chests in which rattles, amulets, and other objects of the profession were kept. Whatever its use, this chest is a fine example of northern Northwest Coast art and craftsmanship from the early historic period. (Holm, Spirit and Ancestor, 1987)

A chief's chest, such as this one, was used to store the treasured emblems of his rank: his dancing blankets, headdresses, and the heraldic emblems of the lineage. It also served as a sort of throne or seat on state occasions. Small chests of similar form held shaman's equipment or a chief's ceremonial material, and finally served as a coffin for his cremated remains. (Holm, Spirit and Ancestor, 1987)