Haida Ivory Raven Face

ARTIFACTS AND OBJECTS OF THE WORLD

Name: Haida Ivory Raven Face

Origin: Haida people, Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia (Canada)

Museum: Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, Texas (USA)

Material: Walrus ivory and shell inlay

Reference code: 1977.29.McD

Age: mid-19th century

Comments:

The raven is a ubiquitous figure in the art and mythology of the cultures of the Northwest Coast. Prominent among the legends associated with him is the Box of Daylight, which Raven opened at the beginning of time, thereby flooding the skies forever with sunlight and, in the process, scorching his white feathers black.

While the specific purpose of this handsome carving of walrus ivory remains unclear - it might be a knife handle or perhaps a cup - it most certainly would have conferred considerable esteem upon its owner. Datable on stylistic grounds to the mid-nineteenth century, it is compositionally related to spoons fashioned from horn and to figures carved from argillite.

Both these materials were readily available to the Haida people of the Queen Charlotte Islands off the coast of British Columbia. The tusk of the walrus, however, had to come from Eskimo country several hundred miles to the north, presumably as an object of trade and through several intermediaries. Only then could it have come to the Haida master who, working with tools crafted by native hands from European metal, transformed it into an image of radiant beauty.

© Photos and text: Dallas Museum of Art 

Canadian bacon strata

This savory breakfast pudding can be prepared the night before through step 2 and baked the next morning. Let the strata chill 2 hours, and it will be nice and moist. If you leave it overnight in the refrigerator, it will be even more custardy.

Ingredients (serves 6)
Softened butter for pan
4 English muffins, split, toasted, and cut in half
½ pound sliced Canadian bacon, about 10 slices, halved
1 ¼ cups (5 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
8 large eggs
3 cups milk
1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
Coarse salt and ground pepper
¼  teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco

How to cook it (25 minutes preparation, total time 4 hours)

Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish (oval or square); set aside. In dish, alternately arrange, cut side down, muffin halves and Canadian bacon. Sprinkle with cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, a pinch of pepper, and hot sauce until combined. Pour over muffins and bacon; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet; remove plastic wrap. Bake until puffed and set in the center (see note below), about 1 hour and 30 minutes. (Tent loosely with foil if strata starts to brown too quickly). Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Note: With a paring knife, pierce the center of the cooked strata. If it feels firm and the knife comes out clean, the eggs have set and the strata is done.


Watch the video for a similar recipe:

Native North American Footwear

Exhibition: Beauty, Identity, Pride: Native North American Footwear
Dates: Permanent exhibition

Place: The Bata shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W, Toronto (Canada)

Admission:  $14

Webpage: www.batashoemuseum.ca

About the exhibition:

Created by Indigenous peoples from diverse regions of North America, ninety pairs of shoes, boots and moccasins will showcase exquisite craftsmanship, regional patterns, and beautiful decoration. The exhibition features rarely seen artifacts chosen entirely from the Bata Shoe Museum's foremost and comprehensive collection of Native footwear.

A unique feature of the exhibition, Discovery Drawers allow visitors of all ages to learn, discover, and in some cases touch materials that amplify the content of the gallery. Your exhibition visit will be enhanced by a direct experience with the materials and artifacts:

Learn the origin of natural dyes and pigments in the American Southwest

Discover which fur trade items ended up on moccasins in the Northeast

Touch moosehair, caribou fur and a child's moccasin from the Subarctic.

You'd be surprised at the amount of variation in Native North American footwear. Our collection is one of the world's most extensive, and we've chosen some beautifully crafted examples which will change the way you think about moccasins! Here's a sampling of what's on view.

About the Museum:

The Museum's collections have grown over the years and now number over 12,500 artifacts: far too many to be all on display at once! In order to highlight different aspects of the collections, we offer three time-limited changing exhibitions as well as one semi-permanent exhibition.

© Text and image: The Bata Shoe Museum

Caribou goggles

Name: Snow goggles of caribou antler

Origin: Igloolik, northern Canada

Date: before 1822

Museum: British Museum

Dimensions: 12 cm length

Comments:

'Snow blindness has always been around; from the time of my childhood I always experienced snow blindness once in a while. In those days they used to make snow goggles from wood. My father used to have wooden snow goggles, with slits for opening ... They are very effective as it cuts the light. The openings which are slits are the only light, they really do cut the light from the snow. Inside, the hollow would be darkened with soot'. George Agiaq Kappianaq, 2000

Snow goggles were used by peoples across the North American Arctic from Alaska to Greenland, probably up to two thousand years ago. Snow goggles not only protected the wearer from snow blindness, but due to their optic qualities, some also improved the sight of the wearer.

These goggles are carved from the hard rind of caribou antler. The pair above was collected among the Copper Inuit, the lower pair by William E. Parry on his second voyage in search for the Northwest Passage, probably near Igloolik in 1822. Parry employed Inuit to make snow goggles for his crew '... as the time was fast approaching when some such precaution would become necessary to guard the eyes from the excessive glare of reflected light.'

© Photos and text: British Museum