Native Americans of many tribes associated the owl with wisdom, foresight, and venerated it as the keeper of sacred knowledge.

This may be due to the fact that the owl is a great foreteller of weather conditions and its ability to see at night was legendary an attribute that was invoked during ceremonies that required an oracle of secret knowledge.

Much of that mysticality is present in the abstrated Owl which dominates this piece.

The piece is a well-balanced carving—visually, the owl’s body is perfectly divided between the front and the back by the stem of the handle which strongly tapers into the owl's belly.

Beyond its mysicality, It is a masterpeice of functionality in the most modern sense. The bird becomes the ladle's handle and the handle becmes the owl using the birds wisom and spirit to guide the user's actions with the tool.