Beaver effigy bowl; Original: Mississippi period, cc 1200 A.D.
|
Title |
Beaver effigy bowl; Original: Mississippi period, cc 1200 A.D. |
|
Description |
Ceramic ; 7.5 x 4.4 x 3.5'; The original is a ceramic vessel made of clay with crushed burned mussel shell mixed in as a tempering agent. It was formed by the coil process, the effigy head formed separately and added to the rim then fired in an open firepit. The effigy is of a beaver holding a stick between his paws. On the opposite side of the bowl is a large tab, a stylized tail. In some Indian cultures, the beaver was respected as it lived in two worlds: the water (associated with the Under World, a place of disorder and change) and the Earth (associated with This World). The beaver was also a builder, which many tribes respected. Effigy bowls are often found in household debris or refuse pits, usually broken, indicating they were in common use and not restricted to the elite or only for ceremonial purposes. |
|
Subject |
Pottery ; Native North American Art ; Pre-contact, -1500 North American |
|
Publisher |
Cahokia Mounds Museum Shop; CollinsvIll.le, Ill.; 2001 |
|
Rights |
Giertz Education Center @ the Krannert Art Museum |
you wish to report:
...
Replicas and Objects of the Giertz Education Center, Krannert Art Museum
