This dish was important in the cultural context of ceremony, potlatch and status. The database says that it was probably made sometime from the 1860s to the 1890s, although ca 1910 was given on the museum card as the date for the actual item on display.

When did the potlatch originate?

Potlatch, ceremonial distribution of property and gifts to affirm or reaffirm social status, as uniquely institutionalized by the American Indians of the Northwest Pacific coast. The potlatch reached its most elaborate development among the southern Kwakiutl from 1849 to 1925.

Where did potlatch come from?

The word "potlatch" means "to give" and comes from a trade jargon, Chinook, formerly used along the Pacific coast of Canada. Guests witnessing the event are given gifts. The more gifts given, the higher the status achieved by the potlatch host.