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• Haida or Heiltsuk (Bella Bella) artist
• British Columbia, Canada
• 1830
• Cedar wood and pigment
• Purchase from the University of Washington, Seattle, 1953.507

This ceremonial dish comes from either the Haida or Heiltsuk (Bella Bella) tribes of British Columbia, Canada. Primarily used during potlatches and other ceremonial feasts, these dishes are often adorned with elaborate paintings or carvings depicting motifs such as ravens, eagles, bears, and orcas. Although the specific imagery on this dish is no longer discernible, the circular carving on the end of the dish appears to represent the moon. In traditions of the Pacific Northwest, the moon serves as a guide, protector, guardian spirit, and timekeeper, and is associated with transformation.