Bentwood Box
Carved out of cedar, this box is two feet high. It is called
"bentwood" because the box is made from one piece of wood that
is steamed and bent. Originally, bentwood boxes were made to store
important goods such as food, clothing, and even toys like miniature
canoes. Today, many Northwest Coast Indian artists make bentwood boxes
to sell to art galleries or museums. Artist Larry Rosso (Carrier) made
this box in 1991. Recently, Larry has been teaching his son and nephew
how to carve. Both have asked him "How can you make it look so
easy?" He tells them, "It’s easy, but it took thirty years
of training to get to this level."
