Bella Coola (Nuxalk) Two Dimensional, Sculptural & Woven Art.
The Native people of the Pacific Northwest are recognized for their elaborate and unique art that displays a level of continuity both in concept and style (Holm, 1990:602). The coastal tribal art styles influenced one another by way of the extensive inter tribal trade routes that were well established since pre-contact times. The tribal styles continually developed and the artists utilized the newly available tools and materials. Art objects collected during the nineteenth century can be seen to be conceptually and stylistically related within each respective tribe, with gradual changes noted over the course of the century (Holm, 1990:603).

The ownership of inherited privileges were often displayed and validated in elaborate, theatrical ceremonies utilizing many beautifully carved masks and associated paraphernalia (Holm, 1990:605). This concept of privilege and potlatching on the Northwest coast stimulated the production of art.  The Bella Coola (Nuxalk) artists are noteworthy, since they developed a distinct style within the tribes of the central province.  Their artists were prolific and highly imaginative, and produced numerous masterpieces for their complex Bella Coola (Nuxalk) mythology (Holm, 1990:605).

Tools and Materials.
Woodworking tools in use before contact included those of bone, shell, stone and beaver incisor teeth, with a few iron and steel blades (King 1981:pl.85,nos. 123, 124). The iron and steel may have been obtained from trade across the continent, or salvaged from drift wreckage from Asia (MacDonald1984a:74-76; G.I. Quimby, 1985). It is also possible that they obtained pre-contact iron from trade with the Bella Bella or other coastal tribes.

The maritime fur trade eventually provided additional metal tools that helped foster artistic activity. In June of 1793, the Bella Coola (Nuxalk) first traded with Captain George Vancouver and obtained iron and knives (Kennedy and Bouchard, 1990:336).

The Natives utilized adzes, chisels, drills, knives, mauls and wedges to create their artwork. The crooked knife, similar to the curved bladedman's knife of northern North America (Mason, 1899) became the standard fine carving tool of the Pacific northwest Natives (Holm, 1990:604). Knives with blades that were straight to knives with sharply curved blades and many anglesin between were quickly adapted for carving here on the coast (Holm,1990:604).

The artwork was either knife finished, for a textured surface, or sanded smooth with dogfish skin or dried stalks of the horsetail (Equisetum) (Holm,1990:604). Paint was applied with brushes made from the guard hair from porcupines, or with smoothly pointed sticks for the fine lines (Holm,1990:604).

Bella Coola (Nuxalk) Two Dimensional Art.
The formline system depicts beings by showing their body parts and details with various broad "formlines " that are joined to give an uninterrupted grid over the entire design area (Holm,1990:606). Shapes such as ovids and U forms are utilized in various sizes and proportions to complete the body parts. The formlines join one another with a limited number of juncture types that allow for a smooth transition from one formline to another without an increase in design weight (Holm, 1990:607). The formline system is often followed for painting designs, although artists also applied formline rules to their silver jewelry, amulets and other low relief carvings.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, the Bella Coola (Nuxalk) two dimensional art appeared northern in concept and detail but still expressed the freedom and flamboyance of the Kwakwaka’wakw and Bella Bella artists (Holm, 1990:610). The Bella Coola (Nuxalk) house fronts were painted with elaborate Northern formline designs in the second half of the nineteenth century (Holm, 1990:610).

The Bella Coola (Nuxalk) masks and carved poles were often painted with true formline designs, yet on occasion they were decorated with free and expressive stripes and spots of color (Holm, 1990:610). A characteristic of Bella Coola (Nuxalk) mask painting was the use of blue lobes or U forms to cover much of the surface of the face (Holm, 1990:610).

Bella Coola (Nuxalk) Sculpture.
The Bella Coola (Nuxalk) carved a stylized form of the human face that was both naturalistic in the features and the relationship of the forms to one another (Holm, 1990:617). A typical Bella Coola (Nuxalk) carved face sloped back from the nose in all directions, making the chin and forehead to recede (Holm, 1990:617). The lips were usually carved quite naturally in an open position, and projected outward (Boas 1898:pls. 7-12). The carved face was hemispherical or ‘bulbous’ in form with the surface painted with the distinctive solid U-forms (Holm, 1972:80).

The Bella Coola (Nuxalk) carved many different mythical beings and used many variations of the basic form of the face that was easily distinguished as Bella Coola (Nuxalk) style (Holm, 1990:617). The animals and birds were carved with facial planes and form quite similar to the humanoid representation, yet allowed for differences in basic anatomical form (Holm, 1990:617). The elaborately carved headdress frontlets were designed with heavy downward slanting brows and bulbous eyes, and with an articulating jaw. These headdresses were worn with the beaks in an upward thrusting direction, giving a sense of movement and power (Holm, 1990:617).

The articulated transformation masks created by the Bella Coola (Nuxalk) used to dramatize the family myths in the ceremonial complexes rivaled the work of their Kwakwaka’wakw neighbors (Holm, 1990:617). Also impressive were their monumental house frontal poles that were often carved with a large gaping mouth for the entrance, or fashioned with large outstretched arms (Barbeau 1950, 2:fig. 393). It is not known that the Bella Coola (Nuxalk) carved tall, fully sculptured poles, as their Kwakwaka’wakw neighbors often did (Holm, 1990:617).

Bella Coola (Nuxalk) Woven Art.
The Bella Coola (Nuxalk) wove impressive robes of twined yellow cedar bark or mountain goat wool yarn (Holm, 1990:628). They were considered masters at working with shreddedred cedar bark and were well known for their red cedar bark regalia and for the embellishment used on masks and other paraphernalia (Holm, 1990:628).

The Bella Coola (Nuxalk) produced few examples of elaborately woven baskets. Most of the baskets made were for utilitarian burden or storage, with little surface decoration (Holm, 1990:624).

Selected Repository Collections of Bella Coola (Nuxalk) Artwork*:

The American Museum of Natural History, New York.
The Canadian Museum of Civilization, National Museum of Canada, Ottawa.
The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago.
Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta.
Milwaukee Public Museum, Wisconsin.
Museum Fur Volkerkunde, Berlin.
British Columbia Archives and Records Service, Victoria.

*Information collected by Joanna C. Scherer and various authors of Volume 7, Handbook of North American Indians Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 1990.