Rare Haida Inuit figural Argillite carving dated Autumn of 1898

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Rare Haida Inuit figural Argillite carving dated Autumn of 1898

About the Item

An extremely rare and large Haida figural Argillite carving with a label on the bottom which is barely readable but is dated Autumn of 1898. The label features references to the myth that this figural carving represents. It is likely the myth that has a haida woman who disparaged the polar bear and was subsequently eaten and reborn to give birth to a half human nalf bear child. The Raven figure in the front figures prominently in hadia culture, as the classic myth has him bringing light to the world. This carving is musuem quality and rarely do carvings of this size and age come to market. Typically 19th century argillite carvings are small totem and pipes. There are repairs to the piece and two hands missing on the front. It is a beautiful piece of Haida and native American history. A brief history of these carvings from Wikipedia follows;
Haida argillite carvings, made by the Haida Indigenous nation of the Northwest Coast of North America, came into existence during the 1800s. These carvings were mostly born out of the Haida desire to trade with the European explorers who came to their shores. Argillite carvings, therefore, are commonly seen as a tourist art because they were firstly designed to be exported from the Haida community and created solely as a means of economic prosperity. As a result argillite carvings contain imagery that encompass both Haida and European cultures. Sometimes the imagery is mixed with traditional Haida forms melding with European styles. Often in argillite carvings, traditional Haida images are confused so that they lose their important cultural meanings. This ensured that culturally symbolic imagery was not being used as a means of economic prosperity for the community. These forms of argillite carvings also contained a lot of visual punning and joke making both at objects and animals in general as well as European culture. The argillite that the Haida use to carve is located on Queen Charlotte Islands, also known as the Haida Gwaii. The quarry is owned by the Haida who have the sole right to use the substance from that quarry for carving. Today argillite carvings are sold in galleries and fine art stores and take on a more traditional Haida forms.

Haida artists have been carving the black slate of the island of Haida Gwaii for several hundred years. From its conception, the art has depicted a variety of images, from traditional Haida forms, to Western figures. Despite this, Haida argillite carving has only been studied systematically during the last thirty to forty years. It is commonly known as a tourist art because of the circumstances surrounding its creation and the subject matter which it often contained. In truth, argillite carving is much more than a simple tourist art. The art form has grown to be highly prized by museums and private collectors. Canadian anthropologists and ethnographers have been studying argillite for approximately 60 years as have, albeit more recently, American art historians. Argillite carving continues to thrive today and it can be expected that new phases and periods will emerge as time goes on.

Dimensions:
Height: 7.25 in (18.42 cm)Width: 13 in (33.02 cm)Depth: 3 in (7.62 cm)
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1898
Condition:
Minor chips, two hands missing and repairs.
Seller Location:
Palm Springs, CA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: U0901268350658