Description:

Rhae Sinaughkwe Henhawk (First Nations Canadian, Iroquois, 1960-present) "Creation of Life," carved alabaster, ca. 1998 CE. A pair of hand carved alabaster mussel or clam shells that open with shimmering stone handles, shaped like tear drops, containing a male and female infants in fetal positions. The piece represents a legend in which a woman wept for the barren, childless world and her tears fell on a pair of mussel shells that then produced the first children. Henhawk, sometimes works under Sinaughkwe, is an artist and part of the Mohawk and Seneca Six Nations (Iroquois). After apprenticing with an Inuit sculptor she began working with stone and bone materials to carve pieces that reflect her Native heritage, as well as contemporary and surrealistic themes. Both shell bases are signed "Sinaughkwe" with the year. Size of pink shell: 4.75" L x 2.5" W x 1.75" H (12.1 cm x 6.4 cm x 4.4 cm); figure: 2.5" L x 0.8" W (6.4 cm x 2 cm)

Provenance: private Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA collection

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#181155

  • Condition: Minor nicks but otherwise intact and great condition. Clearly signed and dated on base of both shells.

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September 14, 2023 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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