The fat harbor seal was a favortie theme of of northern bowl carvers, probably because it was an important source of oil, and because its meat and blubber were important at feasts. Perched on its round belly on a reef just above the tide, head and hind flippers arched upward, the harbor seal is a familiar sight to coast travellers. (Holm, Spirit and Ancestor, 1987)

A universal feature of northern halibut hooks is the sculptural decoration of the lower arm, the one that faces the ocean floor on which the halibut lie. The figures carved on this arm are intended to influence the fish to take the hook, and so exceed the decorative. They very often depict creatures combining the attributes of different beings. This one is half man and half halibut. (Holm, Spirit and Ancestor, 1987)

The paint is black, red, and blue.

The groundhog, or marmot, is an appropriate animal for a part in the dramatization of Nanyaayi tradition. In ancient times an interior people, they migrated down the Taku River to the coast and eventually settled near the mouth of the Stikine, retaining contact and a trade monopoly with the Athapascan Tahltan of the interior. The marmot, the mountain goat, and the grizzly bear all came into the traditions of the Nanyaayi during their adventures in the mountains. (Holm, Spirit and Ancestor, 1987)

Some of the most striking and aesthetically pleasing products of the Northwest Coast carvers' art are wooden bowls. We should not be surprised that a utilitarian bowl can be a work of art. It seems to be a universal human trait to regard food containers as worthy objects for aesthetic expression. Often without elaborate surface decoration, they depend on elegant proportion and relationships of pure form for their beauty. Complete mastery of tool and material is evident in this large, graceful feast bowl. (Holm, Spirit and Ancestor, 1987)