Salish and Lushootseed
Figure
Salish (Southern Lushootseed), Mid-19th century
Scroll
Physical Qualities
Wood, stone, iron, pigment, 29 1/2 x 7 7/8 x 8 11/16 in. (75 x 20 x 22 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Alan Wurtzburger
Object Number
1959.8
Little Earths were spirits who lived in wild, lonely places. They became guardians to men who wandered and fasted in the woods, seeking power. In his encounter a man learned the songs and powers of the spirit, and later he decorated his ceremonial objects to represent the spirit. Figures of Little Earths were prominent in the Spirit Canoe ceremony, also called the Soul Recovery ceremony, in which shamans restored missing souls or guardian spirits to community members.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 1959; Alan Wurtzburger by purchase, 1955; Robert Campbell, Portland, Oregon.
