Bark stripper
Maker: Haida
Medium:Deer bone
Geography: Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), British Columbia, Canada
Date: 19th-early 20th century
Dimensions:5 x 25.9 x 2.1 cm
Object number: 939.31.72
Credit Line: George T. Emmons Collection
Gallery Location:Daphne Cockwell Gallery dedicated to First Peoples art & culture
DescriptionUnprocessed cedar bark was used for making such articles as boxes, temporary shelters, and canoe bailers. Processed shredded and softened inner bark was used for making baskets, rope, mats, and clothing, such as skirts, hats, and capes. A bark stripper was used to pry a section of bark loose from the tree trunk. Holding the loose end, the bark was pulled away from the tree in a long strip.
