Tony Hunt Jr. Kwakiutl Mask

An Iroquois child's cap, beautiful floral designs in multi-colored beads woven on red fabric.

Purchased from the estate of Max Granick. Granick had a frame shop on 56st and in addition to being one of the great framers of midcentury NY was a partner with John Graham offering ...

Authentic First Nations wood carved mask by master carver, Henry Hunt (1923-1985). This hand carved gem depicts a Canadian Grizzly Bear. Pencil signed in cursive on the reverse, Henry Hunt. Carved out of Pacific Northwest pine. Hunt had a rich history replicating and also making one of a kind masks, figures and totems in the Kwakwaka'wakw tradition. This piece dates circa 1970-80. Good overall condition with wear consistent with age. One minor ding near the eye (see photo). Dark patina. No visible splits. Approximately 5" deep x 5.13" wide x 7" high. Galleries West Bio: In 1941, the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria opened Thunderbird Park on a small piece of land adjacent to the museum. Centred around the historic Helmcken House on the same site, it was a small but growing collection of authentic examples of northwest coast art — poles, grave markers, and other ceremonial carvings by the Haida, Songhees, Nuu-cha-nulth, and Kwakwaka’wakw people. By the early 1950s, the carvings had started to decay, and the museum hired a carver to replicate the existing poles, and create new carvings based on original works from sites along the west coast. Kwakwaka’wakw chief Mungo Martin was hired as head carver, and he brought in his stepson, Henry Hunt, to assist him. Based on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, the Kwakwaka’wakw carvers are known for poles and masks carved with traditional hand tools, faces and figures with theatrical expressions, and bright painting outlined in sharp contrast. Martin learned the art from his own stepfather, Charlie James...

A fantastic and somewhat playful mask by the Yup'ik (Yupik) aboriginal, indigenous people of South-Western & South Central Alaska. The Yup'ik people, who are related to the Inuit peoples, have a long history of ceremonial mask making. Yup'ik masks were originally and specifically designed by Shamans and made to be worn by these spiritual leaders in Winter tribal dances and sacred ceremonies. Traditionally, the masks were destroyed or discarded after use in these ceremonies. Very few of these masks survived. After Christian contact in the late 19th century, masked dancing was suppressed and the tradition all but died out. As more outsiders settled in Alaska at the turn of the century, masks were made by the Yup'ik people to sell or trade for necessary goods. It is likely that this mask was created some years later for this purpose. In the 20th century, Yup'ik mask had a profound influence on many renowned surrealist artists including, Max Ernst, Joan Miro, Leonora Carrington, Victor Brauner, and most notably Andre Breton who was an avid collector of Yup'ik masks. This fantastic anthropomorphic mask is carved of lighter wood, hand painted and decorated with pigment, and held together with natural fiber. The mask seems to represent some sort of smiling, benevolent spirit or character with its four eyes, bird beak, and cat-like ears. The mask is from a French collection. We were told that this mask, as well as others in the collection we have listed, was acquired originally in the 1950s-1960s in Alaska and the Yukon territory in Canada but as we have no way to verify or authenticate this. Please note we are listing the masks as decorative and not as actual tribal artifacts...