Give Away - Bentwood Box

Marie Oldfield

Give Away - Bentwood Box

Marie Oldfield
SOLD
SOLD
$900.00

6 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"

With cedar bark, abalone, copper leaf, and Raven's Tail fringe.

“In our culture in the past, the bentwood box was a storage place for the treasures of our traditional houses. Women would work to fill these boxes with precious items to give away at feasts and potlatches with the end result being a raising of status to their names, the status of their children and their house and chief. It took a lot of time to accomplish this. The box starts out empty....food, weaving, coppers and other items precious to us are added over time and given away to the people who attend the feast. Our names, rank and status are inherited through our Mothers' bloodlines. Through time, the copper will fall away from the boxes and reveal the red color. This symbolizes the bloodline.”

Artist Biography and Additional Work