The Coast Salish Basket makers and Canoe Cavers
Art played a major part in Northwest Coast Culture. The Coast Salish tribe is well known for its unique art culture. Salish coast art has a diverse range of creations in performing, expressing imaginative and technical skills. Salish art is appreciated for their beauty and spirituality. Their artwork defines their pride and each work of art tells its own story. The art is both functional and, at the same time is paired with cultural art of Salish tribe. The two main necessities that turned into art were the basketry and canoe carving. The journey of weaving baskets and carving canoes starts with physical activity and expression to cultural history. …show more content…
Canoes were the ancient method of ferrying people and cargo goods during different seasons of year depending on the needs of tribe with respect to nature. The use of canoe was determined by the size of canoe. In Salish tribe, specialized canoes were carved for either saltwater or river travel (Brown 248). Long Canoes where usually 60 feet longer mainly used to travel long distances and used as transporters. The construction of canoes proofed their durability in rough water. On the other hand, smaller canoes were used as daily commuter mainly by fisherman, for their trades, fishing, and hunting. The size varies from 10 to 30 feet in length, and were mostly used around northern pacific west rivers. Steven C. Brown discusses many types of techniques and methods used for canoe carving, there are numerous aspects which affect the quality of canoe like weight, size and thickness of the hull, width for its stability. Creation of canoe starts with a cedar log and polished till a smooth surface. The carving starts from the center, and bow is kept dynamical. Steaming process takes place once canoe is hollowed as showed in figure 11.1 (247). According to Brown steam softens the wood and allow the sides to …show more content…
Today there are very small number of full size usable canoes exits, but old masters left their designs as “Model Canoes”. Figure 11.6 “Model canoe” was discovered by Colin Robertson before 1833. The model is made by carving cedar and it is not steamed as a full-sized canoe but contains all the characteristics and details of the larger vessels (Brown 251). Canoe in figure 11.6 contained different shades of darker brown wood, the end of canoe is long, narrow and shallow so it is a “Shovel nose” canoe. There are two male figures carved on the canoes with their mouth open. The paddlers appear to be singing while one of them holding a bottom- dwelling sturgeon (252). The second paddler is holding a small shovel maybe giving direction and speed to
Art played a major part in Northwest Coast Culture. The Coast Salish tribe is well known for its unique art culture. Salish coast art has a diverse range of creations in performing, expressing imaginative and technical skills. Salish art is appreciated for their beauty and spirituality. Their artwork defines their pride and each work of art tells its own story. The art is both functional and, at the same time is paired with cultural art of Salish tribe. The two main necessities that turned into art were the basketry and canoe carving. The journey of weaving baskets and carving canoes starts with physical activity and expression to cultural history. …show more content…
Canoes were the ancient method of ferrying people and cargo goods during different seasons of year depending on the needs of tribe with respect to nature. The use of canoe was determined by the size of canoe. In Salish tribe, specialized canoes were carved for either saltwater or river travel (Brown 248). Long Canoes where usually 60 feet longer mainly used to travel long distances and used as transporters. The construction of canoes proofed their durability in rough water. On the other hand, smaller canoes were used as daily commuter mainly by fisherman, for their trades, fishing, and hunting. The size varies from 10 to 30 feet in length, and were mostly used around northern pacific west rivers. Steven C. Brown discusses many types of techniques and methods used for canoe carving, there are numerous aspects which affect the quality of canoe like weight, size and thickness of the hull, width for its stability. Creation of canoe starts with a cedar log and polished till a smooth surface. The carving starts from the center, and bow is kept dynamical. Steaming process takes place once canoe is hollowed as showed in figure 11.1 (247). According to Brown steam softens the wood and allow the sides to …show more content…
Today there are very small number of full size usable canoes exits, but old masters left their designs as “Model Canoes”. Figure 11.6 “Model canoe” was discovered by Colin Robertson before 1833. The model is made by carving cedar and it is not steamed as a full-sized canoe but contains all the characteristics and details of the larger vessels (Brown 251). Canoe in figure 11.6 contained different shades of darker brown wood, the end of canoe is long, narrow and shallow so it is a “Shovel nose” canoe. There are two male figures carved on the canoes with their mouth open. The paddlers appear to be singing while one of them holding a bottom- dwelling sturgeon (252). The second paddler is holding a small shovel maybe giving direction and speed to