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Description

Circular argillite plate carved with bird, floral and geometric designs. [CAK 30/04/2009]

Longer Description

Circular argillite plate carved with bird, floral and geometric designs. Carved from a single piece of argillite, the plate has a concave curvature. For orientation purposes, the plate is described with the central figure - a bird - facing upright. The central portion of the plate has a circle with a bird (perhaps an eagle given the crooked beak) with head facing right, a round body decorated with two types of feathers on either half (the left side being longer and more horizontal, the right side being more petal shaped and with pecked decoration), two outstretched wings bending downwards, talons extending out to each side, and tail feathers pointing downward. The background around the bird is carved with tight parallel lines. Wrapped around this central circle is an animal whose head is at the top of the plate. A mouth slightly parted with two rows of pointed teeth and perhaps a thin tongue is visible below a large bulbous nose and large eye. The body of the animal is long, thin and serpent-like, forming two curls before ending in a split tail that reaches the animal's mouth. The body is decorated with sets of lines with notches on one side, crescent moon shapes that divide the body into segments, and the tail is decorated with tight cross-hatching. The area between the animal's head and upper body and the central circular area is filled with short, parallel, angled lines. The area between the animal's lower body and tail and central area is filled with adjacent triangles decorated with cross-hatching. Inside the curls formed by the animal's body are smaller circles with lines radiating outward; in one of these areas, the lines are grouped in pairs with pecked marks between them. Between the tail and the mouth are two arrow-shaped projections that may be extensions of the animal's tongue. Encircling the animal is a floral motif with leaves and slender-stemmed flowers. There may also be berries just behind the animal's head. Atop the animal's head are straight, parallel, slightly angled lines. There is some cross-hatching among these outer designs, particularly outside the curls of the animal's body. The rim of the plate is plainly carved and smooth and measures approximately 13 mm in width. The rim angles downward slightly. The reverse of the plate has a flat, round, circular base. Between the base and the underside of the rim, the plate is symmetrically carved in two halves with geometric and floral motifs: there are sections of tight, straight, parallel lines; leaves; curving parallel lines; and characteristic formline shapes. The underside of the rim is plainly carved and has a slight curve. [CAK 30/04/2009]

Primary Documentation

Accession Book Entry [Balfour 5] - 'Balfour gift 1939...Miscellaneous objects... 2211 Circular plate of shale stone carved with totemic designs: ?eagle and ?butterfly (?or snake). Found unlabelled. Same provenance. [i.e. HAIDA, QUEEN CHARLOTTE ID., BRITISH COLUMBIA)

There is no further information on the catalogue card. [CW 8 6 98]

Written on object - HAIDA, QUEEN CHARLOTTE ID., BRIT. COLUMBIA. dd H Balfour 1939. No 2211 [KJ 01/04/2009]

Related Documents File - The Haida Project Related Documents File contains video of research sessions and interviews with Haida delegates from September 2009 as part of the project ‘Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge'. It also includes post-visit communications that discuss object provenance. For extensive photographic, video, and textual records documenting the Haida research visit as a whole, including but not limited to preparations of objects for handling, travel logistics, British Museum participation, transcribed notes from research sessions and associated public events held at PRM, see the Haida Project Digital Archive, stored with the Accessions Registers. Original hand-written notes taken during research sessions have been accessioned into the Manuscripts collection, in addition to select other materials. [CAK 02/06/2010]

Research Notes

The following information comes from Haida delegates who worked with the museum's collection in September 2009 as part of the project “Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge”:
This plate was viewed alongside other argillite carvings on Tuesday Sept 15, 2009. The most common interpretations of the iconography on this plate were eagle and serpent. Diane Brown called the bird in the centre of the plate a chubby eagle. In response to the eagle, people began remembering Nika Collison's father, Ernie Collison, whose Haida name was translated as 'walking eagle', because he was too heavy to fly! Vern Williams Jr explained that the feathers and ribs of the eagle were visible, and that the floral motif along the border represented the tobacco plant. He thought the serpent could be a snake or sea monster. Nika Collison added that all of these serpent-like creatures were illustrated in European texts and pictures from Bibles were often present on trading ships and sometimes became inspirations for argillite carvers.
Christian White thought the serpent figure could be a dragon design. He recalled seeing a similar pattern on a trade musket. He commented on the unique presence of two patterns used to decorate the eagle's chest.
Jason Alsop thought there were mushroom designs near the rim of the plate, and that the serpentine-like design could also be a dragon fly. He added that dragonflies are associated with smoking.
Gwaai Edenshaw noted another unusual feature about the plate was that the main formline had been cut in, like it is negative space. He thought the image ringing the eagle is a feathered serpent.
Jaalen Edenshaw explained that the hole in the centre of the plate helped facilitate carving: a nail with leather washers would be put through the centre so the plate could be turned while being carved.
A group discussion about argillite raised the following points. Argillite is only carved on Haida Gwaii. It is a natural resource of the islands, is very brittle and difficult to carve. Black is the most common variety, but rarer red and brown varieties also exist. It requires a skillful hand to carve it successfully. In addition to early trading, argillite served an important purpose during difficult years in Haida communities. Even when not skillfully executed, argillite allowed carvers to record stories and oral histories, like previous generations did in wood before them; they were able to preserve a significant amount of information that might otherwise have been lost. Argillite also provided a medium for Haidas to be satirical about the Europeans they were encountering. [CAK 18/05/2010]