Bentwood Storage Box with Lid

Bentwood boxes are made from a solid wooden plank. Three of the four corners of a bentwood box are bent at a 90-degree angle, with the fourth corner joined with pegs, sewn, or glued. The location where the plank is to be bent are kerfed or grooved, then the plank is steamed so that the wood becomes soft enough not to crack or break when bent.

Bentwood boxes have had numerous uses on the Northwest Coast including serving oil and food dishes, storage boxes for food and ceremonial regalia, water buckets, burial boxes, box rattles, canoe tackle boxes, and drum boxes. They have also been used to steam food by filling the box with water and dropping stones from a fire into the box.

Ketchikan Museums: Tongass Historical Society Collection
THS 62.12.1.1 A&B