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Food bowls and spoons, certainly those decorated with such effigies, were individually owned and taken on visits to other people. (From the Catalog of the Thaw Collection of American Indian Art, 2nd ed.)
Exhibition History"Treasures from the Thaw Collection," Wheelwright Museum of American Indian Art. Santa Fe, NM, May 1, 2000 - December 31, 2000.
"American Indian Art from the Fenimore Art Museum: The Thaw Collection," The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, May 9, 2017 - October 8, 2017.
"American Indian Art from the Fenimore Art Museum: The Thaw Collection," Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, Utica, NY, October 13, 2018 - December 31, 2018.
"American Indian Art from the Fenimore Art Museum: The Thaw Collection," Mitchell Gallery, St John's College, Annapolis, MD, February 28, 2020 - April 26, 2020.
ProvenanceTonawanda Indian Reservation, New York; Unidentified antique dealer; Woodrow Winiecki; John Comstock; Michael Hall, Cherry Creek, New York; Trotta-Bono, Shrub Oak, New York
BibliographyAdvertisement for Trotta-Bono in American Indian Art Magazine, Autumn, Vol.18, no.4 (Autumn 1993):11.
Vincent, Gilbert T. Masterpieces of American Indian Art. New York: Harry Abrams, 1995, p.23.
Vincent, Gilbert T. "An Iroquois Sampling." Heritage, Vol.10, no.4 (Summer 1994): 6.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.42.
Fognell, Eva and Alexander Brier Marr, eds. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum, 2nd ed. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2016, p. 29.
Culture
Seneca (Haudenosaunee)
Ladle
Datec. 1760
MediumMaple burl
DimensionsOverall: 4 1/2 × 5 1/4 in. (11.4 × 13.3 cm)
Object numberT0031
Credit LineGift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw
Photograph by John Bigelow Taylor, NYC
Label TextAmong the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), dreams function as a major motivation in the carving of effigies on pipes, eating bowls, ladles, and spoons. These figurines served "to satisfy the desires of the soul." Most of the Haudenosaunee examples in museum collections were made during the 19th century. They show a great variety of effigies, but in comparison to this unique example, they are all rather crude. In addition to the refined quality of its flowing contours several features indicate a production date of ca. 1760: the bowl is wider than long, the sharp angle between bowl and handle, and the effigy serving as a backhook, fitting over the rim of a food bowl. The triangular cross-section of the handle is unusual. The almost abstract effigy has an enigmatic quality, but avian features appear to predominate.Food bowls and spoons, certainly those decorated with such effigies, were individually owned and taken on visits to other people. (From the Catalog of the Thaw Collection of American Indian Art, 2nd ed.)
Exhibition History"Treasures from the Thaw Collection," Wheelwright Museum of American Indian Art. Santa Fe, NM, May 1, 2000 - December 31, 2000.
"American Indian Art from the Fenimore Art Museum: The Thaw Collection," The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, May 9, 2017 - October 8, 2017.
"American Indian Art from the Fenimore Art Museum: The Thaw Collection," Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, Utica, NY, October 13, 2018 - December 31, 2018.
"American Indian Art from the Fenimore Art Museum: The Thaw Collection," Mitchell Gallery, St John's College, Annapolis, MD, February 28, 2020 - April 26, 2020.
ProvenanceTonawanda Indian Reservation, New York; Unidentified antique dealer; Woodrow Winiecki; John Comstock; Michael Hall, Cherry Creek, New York; Trotta-Bono, Shrub Oak, New York
BibliographyAdvertisement for Trotta-Bono in American Indian Art Magazine, Autumn, Vol.18, no.4 (Autumn 1993):11.
Vincent, Gilbert T. Masterpieces of American Indian Art. New York: Harry Abrams, 1995, p.23.
Vincent, Gilbert T. "An Iroquois Sampling." Heritage, Vol.10, no.4 (Summer 1994): 6.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.42.
Fognell, Eva and Alexander Brier Marr, eds. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum, 2nd ed. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2016, p. 29.
On View
Not on viewc. 1780
c. 1795-1820
