Fish or Seal Club (X’ús’) (late 1800s–early 1900s): Art, History and Details

Fish or Seal Club (X’ús’) (late 1800s–early 1900s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Marine and river resources are crucial on the Northwest Coast, including halibut that can weigh several hundred pounds. The thrashing of such a large fish could endanger a canoe and so, after being thanked for surrendering its life, it was clubbed before being brought safely onboard. This example may represent a sea lion, a proficient hunter.

Object facts

• Title: Fish or Seal Club (X’ús’)
• Date: late 1800s–early 1900s
• Culture: Native North America, Northwest Coast, Alaska, Tlingit
• Type: Wood
• Technique: wood
• Dimensions: Figure: 10.5 x 4 cm (4 1/8 x 1 9/16 in.)
• Collection: AA - Native North America
• Department: Art of the Americas
• Accession number: 1921.1580

Collection credit

Gift of W. A. Price

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.