11. Hlk’yaan K_’ustaan (Frog Spoon)

Haida
Birch
2” x 9” x 2.5”

This frog spoon was one of my assignments at Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art. I've always loved frogs. In my childhood, my friends and I would collect frog eggs in the early summer. We would put the eggs in large buckets in our yards and furnish them with rocks, moss, and other plants. It was thrilling to see them hatch, develop arms and legs, lose their tails and eventually take off when fully mature.
I’ve seen old carvings with figures carved from a single piece of wood, looking like they could pop right off the piece. I wanted to challenge myself in this aspect and make it look as though the frog could hop away whenever he pleases.

- Alyson Bell (Xundaaya)