This oval-topped and rectangular-bottomed pail is made from a single piece of birch bark cut and folded into shape, then stitched with spruce root. Used for gathering berries, the pail’s dark exterior has been scraped to reveal a lighter layer of bark underneath and create a decorative pattern.

Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian
Ongoing

The National Museum of the American Indian  |  George Gustav Heye Center  |  New York, NY

Press | Credits