H69.449.2

• north american indian

Bowl. Description: Steatite bowl, boat shaped; approximately 9 1/2" long, and 3 1/4" wide. "SEC" painted in white and red paint on bottom. Also bears #53-175 on tape (referring probably to the Catalina Museum where it was once on loan.) History: found on Catalina Island, corner of Crescent and Sumner Sts., Avalon; in 1925 while excavating to lay a building foundation.Bowl. Description: Steatite bowl, approximately circular, 3 1/2 to 4" diameter at top opening. Approx. 3 1/2" high. "SEC" painted in white and red paint on bottom. Also bears #53-174 on tape (referring probably to the Catalina Museum where it was once on loan.) History: found on Catalina Island, corner of Crescent and Sumner Sts., Avalon; in 1925 while excavating to lay a building foundation. From the History Information Center "Object: Steatite bowl collected on Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California. "History: The peoples of the Santa Barbara coast traveled to Catalina Island to mine steatite, which is also known as soapstone. The made very serviceable kitchenware from this soft and porous stone by grinding it with harder stone tools. Sometimes the person doing the manufacturing roughed out the inside of his bowl, making sure it was just the right size and shape, before he removed the chunk from the parent outcrop. Steatite was a very popular material for cooking pots. It could be heated to a very high temperature without breaking, and even the worst of cooks found it hard to burn the family meal in one of these vessels."