Functional Alaskan Artwork

The old, Native American cultures were known for their unique and beautiful designs and the aesthetic quality of their artwork. These were rarely the kind of artwork that you might find propped up on an art easel in the gallery of a museum but rather, everyday items. Because of the lifestyle of the Native American tribes, these artistic talents were applied to useful items to combine creativity with useful production of functional tools. This was common in the Native American tribes including those in Alaska.
If you find yourself wandering through the anthropological section of a museum then you are likely to find a lot of tools with small carvings or color patterns that are associated with certain cultures or spiritual meanings, but the purpose is that of a tool, first and foremost. You may not have even realized that the patterns were there.
The most elaborate pieces were those used in ceremonies to call or give respect to the spirits. The purpose that these items served may have been spiritual but that was a very real purpose to the people of this land. There is a movement of people replicating and displaying these items for their artistic value alone rather than the spiritual value that the items were originally intended to have. These pieces look beautiful displayed in glass cases next to a painting on an art easel but they would be happier if they were being used for their intended purposes.
Clothing is a great example of artwork that needed to also serve a function. Especially in the harsh environment of northern Alaska, the winters are deadly if you don’t have the right clothing. You could have a simple pair of rabbit pelt moccasins or you could have a pair that is carefully embroidered by hand and deserve to be displayed on an art easel like the piece of fine art that they are.