-
Artworks
JIMMY JOHN (1876-1988), MOWACHAHT/MUCHALAHT (NUU-CHAH-NULTH)
Grouse Frontlet Headdress, c. 1950sred cedar wood, abalone, copper strapping, and fabric, 8.5 x 7 x 8.75 in (21.6 x 17.8 x 22.2 cm)
unsigned;
inscribed twice in graphite, in an unknown hand [probably Mason Davis], "M.D.";
This work is accompanied by postcard featuring Jimmy John holding the headdress and a copy of "Out of the Mist: Treasures of the Nuu-chah-nulth Chiefs" (2000), in which this work is reproduced in a photograph of the artist.LOT 68
ESTIMATE: $8,000 — $12,000Further images
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 1
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 2
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 3
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 4
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 5
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 6
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 7
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 8
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 9
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 10
)
Jimmy John was a prolific maker of model poles and masks who lived and carved for over a century. He made objects both for sale and community usage and innovated...Jimmy John was a prolific maker of model poles and masks who lived and carved for over a century. He made objects both for sale and community usage and innovated a distinctive style of chip-carving. This well-documented grouse headdress has been published on a mid-20th century postcard with the artist and in the book Out of the Mist: Treasures of the Nuu-chah-nulth Chiefs (2000) [1]. The headdress is chip-carved with elaborate, grooved flourishes and inlaid abalone eyes. The mask is crowned with a pair of eagles and spines meant to mimic sea lion whiskers, all carved from one piece of wood.
1. Page 107, bottom right. Royal BC Museum PN 8965-35.
Christopher W. Smith
Provenance
Purchased from Mason Davis, Victoria, B.C., c. 1986 by a Private Collection, Ottawa;
Estate of the above.
Publications
Martha Black, HuupuKwanum Tupaat : Out of the Mist: Treasures of the Nuu-chah-nulth Chiefs, (Victoria, BC: Royal British Columbia Museum, 1999), p. 107, lower right, RBCM PN895-35 -
(View a larger image of thumbnail 1
)
Join Our Mailing List
Join our mailing list
* denotes required fields
We will process the personal data you have supplied in accordance with our privacy policy (available on request). You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.