Figure Item Number: 3261/3 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Carved argillite sea captain figure, with inlaid ivory face. Upright standing male figure, on rounded rectangular base, with arms down at sides but curving toward front. Figure is wearing a long coat and pants with flower buttons, pointed shoes, and a brimmed hat over curly hair. His right hand holds a dog against his front, in profile. Left hand is in his pocket. Cross-hatched design on dog's body.

History Of Use

Argillite carvings were considered curios by the European and Euro-American seamen and traders who purchased them from their Haida makers in the mid 1800s, and by the generations of collectors who later displayed them in their “curiosity cabinets” as exotic souvenirs. Made in a context of encounter and exchange by artists whose names were not recorded, these carvings have accumulated histories that, like the places they have travelled, are no longer known. The figure marks a moment preceding the devastating impacts of smallpox and colonization on the Northwest Coast, and belongs to a continuum of argillite carving that has been maintained by Haida artists to the present day.

Narrative

Donor purchased the figure from an auction in Ottawa; auction notes say it was being sold from a private collection in B.C.

Item History

What

Name
Figure
Identification Number
3261/3
Type of Item
figure
Material
argillite stone and whale tooth ?
Overall
height 46.5 cm, width 15.0 cm, depth 11.5 cm

Who

Culture
Haida
Previous Owner
Elspeth McConnell
Received from
Elspeth McConnell (Donor)

Where

Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
Made in
British Columbia, Canada

When

Creation Date
between 1840 and 1860
Ownership Date
before April 12, 2018
Acquisition Date
on April 12, 2018

Other

Item Classes
carvings & sculpture
Condition
good
Current Location
Case 8
Accession Number
3261/0003