Fragment Item Number: 3007/1 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Deeply carved wooden fragment. Carving shows a mirrored pair of birds, sitting foot to foot. One bird ends at the neck where the wood narrows to a small rounded, pointed end. There are remnants of what appears to be a type of root(?) and a short piece of leather(?) wound around this end, as well as some black thread has been added to hold the wrappings in place. The other end has been broken off above the bird's head.

History Of Use

Possibly a fragment from a handle of an unknown object.

Narrative

Thought to have been collected during the Captain Vancouver voyage along the Northwest Coast in 1794, by a British officer named Thomas Dobson. Possibly collected in the area of Cross Sound in Alaska. Sold at auction in London at Sotheby's in 1983 with other objects from the same collection. Acquired by MOA via Miriam Schiell Fine Art, who purchased the object for the Museum from an auction at the New York Sotheby's in 2013.

Item History

What

Name
Fragment
Identification Number
3007/1
Type of Item
fragment
Material
wood, root ?, leather skin and cotton fibre
Overall
height 12.5 cm, width 2.0 cm, depth 2.5 cm

Who

Culture
Northwest Coast
Previous Owner
Miriam Shiell Fine Art
Received from
Miriam Shiell Fine Art (Seller) and Museum of Anthropology Acquisitions Budget (Funding source)

Where

Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
Made in
USA and Canada
Collected in
Cross Sound, Alaska, USA ?

When

Creation Date
between 1700 and 1800
Collection Date
during 1794
Ownership Date
before June 20, 2013
Acquisition Date
on June 20, 2013

Other

Item Classes
carvings & sculpture
Condition
fair
Accession Number
3007/0001