Exhibited Tlingit Wood Frog Bowl by Bean // 1919

Augustus Bean (Tlingit, 1850-1926), inscribed "Sitka (Alaska) 1919" on bottom. An exceptional oval feast dish carved from wood and skillfully decorated with low relief carvings of two frogs on the interior, a zoomorphic face at each short end of the exterior, and larger-scaled abstract visages on each exterior side wall. Around the rim are 12 bean-shaped whale/sea mammal bone inlays, and there is a row of tiny white inlaid shell beads around the interior, about one inch below the rim.

Bean was a Tlingit carver who trained at the Shelton Jackson School (later Museum) during the late 19th century and subsequently had a shop in Sitka, Alaska until the mid-1920's. The Tlingit have great respect for frogs, believing that these amphibian creatures bring good luck and fortune.

The frog is an animal of great importance in Northwest Coast art and culture. As an amphibian creature that lives in two worlds, in water and on land, the frog is revered for his remarkable flexibility and adaptability, his ability to traverse these worlds as well as to inhabit both the natural and supernatural realms. The frog is also believed to be the spirit helper of shamans. Given its vocal ability to croak, the frog is highly regarded as a great communicator, who represents the voice of the people. What's more, the frog's songs are believed to be magical, containing divine power. When shown in art as touching or sharing his tongue with another creature, the frog represents an exchange of knowledge and power.