Henry Hunt Sr. was a renowned Kwakwaka’wakw artist who apprenticed carving and painting under his father-in-law, Mungo Martin (Kwakwaka’wakw, 1879-1962), from 1954 until Martin’s passing in 1962. [1] Hunt and Martin worked together at Thunderbird Park in Victoria on Vancouver Island, creating monumental and model poles, masks, and other items for cultural usage and sale. This model pole is a very early piece for Hunt and shows a strong affinity with Martin’s work from this period, but it also foreshadows themes and elements that Hunt would explore for the rest of his career. It features, from top, a chief figure in a painted hat with basketry rings and button robe, a beaver, and a seated Hamatsa dancer wearing a red headband, neck ring and robe. The Hamatsa figure is seated in what appears to be a canoe or other structure. This pole is somewhat unusual for the time period for being both fully carved and painted. There is a similar pole by Martin in the Museum of Vancouver that features a chief figure and beaver (Identification number 57908). The base of the pole features a sterling silver plaque that notes that this pole was a presentation piece celebrating the British Columbia centennial.

1. Henry Hunt Biography. Archival holdings at the Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia. https://musa-atom002.moa.ubc.ca/index.php/henry-hunt?sf_culture=en. Accessed October 05, 2024.

Christopher W. Smith