Lot 163
  • 163

Tlingit Headdress, Northwest Coast

Estimate
60,000 - 90,000 USD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • wood, ermine, black bear, hide (unable to be identified), abalone shell
in the form of a raven, with a sea lion's face on its breast, and articulated backswept wings and tailfeathers, each with conventionalized concentric ovals and curvilinear devices carved in deep relief, accented with abalone shell plaques, the bird's head with open beak holding a small rectangular implement, probably a representation of the sun, a column of potlatch rings inserted at the top, tuft of human hair inserted along the lower jaw, the interior of the helmut lined with finely tanned hide, a narrow strip at either side for attachment; blackened overall with green and red as details, an ermine pendant remaining.

Provenance

Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York, inv. no. "20/9874", acquired in 1947
Morton D. May, St. Louis, acquired from the above by exchange on March 15, 1967
Wellman Collection
Sold Sotheby's New York, June 4, 1997, lot 258, consigned by the above
Myron Kunin, Minneapolis, acquired at the above auction

Exhibited

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, extended loan, July 31, 1998 – February 8, 2011

Condition

Very good original condition with typical overall wear including minor surface abrasion. There are a series of fine hairline cracks on each of the wings and in a slightly more pronounced way on the breast (sea lion's face).
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

For a discussion of the use of masks within the Tlingit culture see Steve Brown, Spirits of the Water: Native Art Collected on Expeditions to Alaksa and British Columbia, 1774-1910, Seattle, 2000, pp. 50–51: “Masks were seen as repositories of supernatural power. This is the case of masks used by Tlingit shamans (shamanic art is prominent in the northern province, especially among the Tlingit). Masks carved to represent animal, bird and human spirits that were controlled by a shaman, and whose power gave him the ability to cure illness, predict the future, or counteract the power of sorcerers are among the most dramatic examples of Northwest Coast art. Other shamanic objects – rattles, amulets, robes and headdresses, for example – are equally evocative and powerful.  Haida and Tsimshian shamans used similar wonderful objects in their practice. Their images are enigmatic, typical of shamanic objects, with meanings known clearly only to the individual shamans who owned them. In this respect they are similar to the paraphernalia of southern shamans and characteristic of Northwest Coast religious material in general.

Animal motifs in Northwest Coast masks are examined in by Wardwell, 1996, p. 93: “Animals form an equally large proportion of beings shown in Northwest Coast shamanic art. Some are hybrid creatures of identifiable animals, while others are fantastic monsters that have no counterpart in nature…Many of the animals in shamanic art, however, represent animal species that can be readily identified, and the reasons for their use are well known.”

For a discussion of the raven moiety crest see Jonaitis, 1986, pp. 72-74: “Having the largest brain relative to its body size of any bird, the raven learns quickly and, in captivity, can be taught an assortment of tricks. Very belligerent, the raven has been known to assemble into flocks to “mob” intruders such as owls, hawks, eagles, and even humans, by circling around them, shrieking and swooping until they leave. There are also reports that ravens have tossed rocks at those people who approached their nests too closely. Despite their aggressive behavior to certain creatures, ravens display friendliness to each other, seem able to communicate by an assortment of different sounds, and to appear to genuinely enjoy playing…Because the raven has a tendency to live near humans from whom it scavenges a great deal, the Tlingit have had ample opportunity to observe its behavior. Perhaps because it is so intelligent, the Tlingit believe that the raven can talk with ease to people, prognosticate the future, bring good news, warn of bad luck, and assist fisherman (de Laguna 1972:829). Even though they hunt other birds, the Tlingit do not hunt for and kill the raven (Krause 1956:125). This bird, which seems to have an unusual concern for human affairs, is also a remarkably complex mythic being…In myth, Raven could both benefit others and hurt them severely. For example, in much earlier times all the celestial bodies were kept locked in a box’; Raven liberated them and thus gave mankind sunlight. He also taught humans to fish, hunt, and build”

A related example to this headdress is in the University Museum, Pennsylvania and was acquired from the Sea Lion House, probably Sitka, by Louis Shotridge in 1918. Also see Sotheby's New York, May 2014, lot 3 and Sotheby's New York, October 2006, lots 17 and 37, for related headdresses.