The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

Bowl

Bowl

early 1800s
Overall: 9 x 20 x 14.6 cm (3 9/16 x 7 7/8 x 5 3/4 in.)
Location: not on view

Description

Fine wooden bowls were often used during feasts in the Northeastern Woodlands. The heads on the rims may represent spirit beings, perhaps the owner’s guardian spirits, acquired through dreams or visions—thought to be the ultimate sources of truth. The medium may also be profoundly meaningful. A Great Lakes (Meskwaki) Native said in 1911, “The murmur of the trees when the wind passes through is but the voices of our grandparents. Often a whole forest hums with talk . . . we often hear the sound of their laughter and the sound of their lamentations.”
  • The Spirit Sings: Artistic Traditions of Canada's First Peoples. Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Canada (organizer) (January 15-May 1, 1988); Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau, Canada (July 1-November 6, 1988).
    Year in Review for 1984. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 3-May 5, 1985).
  • {{cite web|title=Bowl|url=false|author=|year=early 1800s|access-date=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1984.12