Transitions
The addition of etched designs shows the transition from practical item to art piece. While birchbark containers like these were widely used, due to the practicality of their usage, they were often undecorated. The addition of floral and geometic etched designs to this particular container suggest that it was created for sale in the tourist trade where the pleasant designs might increase its value, likely for non-Native buyers. Birchbark makaks continue to be crafted to this day as heritage heirlooms and for the tourist trade.