Lot 96J
Native American, Pacific Northwest Coast, British Columbia, Canada, Skidegate, Haida, ca. 1990s (one dated 1993) CE. Two finely carved black argillite pieces, both signed on the verso by the artist - "Pat Dixon 6/93" on the larger, "Pat Dixon Skidegate B.C." on the smaller - the larger with an eagle in profile, a baby eagle/bird below, and other nature-inspired stylistic motifs, the smaller a pendant pierced for suspension at the upper end and also depicting an eagle in profile with finely incised details. The eagle was known as the "master of the skies" and the mighty raptor was a figure of great significance in Northwestern cosmology. The eagle sent messages and prayers to the Creator, and if an eagle was seen during a prayer session, it was taken as a sign that a prayer had been accepted. Eagle feathers remain sacred symbols of prayer. Size: 2.75" L x 2.125" W (7 cm x 5.4 cm)
Pat Dixon (Haida, 1938-2015) was a member of the Eagle clan, born on the Queen Charlotte Islands in the small village of Skidegate, who moved to Vancouver in 1966 to work with the fellow Haida carver Pat McGuire. An accomplished argillite carver, Dixon carved sculptures, totem poles, jewelry, and plates. Dixon's works of the late 1960's and early 1970s are regarded as some of the finest pieces of Argillite. Argillite is a fine grained sedimentary rock that is essentially a slate-like rock with a smooth appearance like this one. In the 19th century, the Haida people began to carve this material to create trade goods for visiting Europeans and Americans, because of the decline of their traditional fishing economy. Items like this one served as a way to show their artistic merit and introduce some of their iconography to the outside world.
Provenance: private Salter collection, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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#125658
- Condition: Impressions from inventory labels, otherwise excellent.
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