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Artworks
DOUG LAFORTUNE SR. (1953-) COAST SALISH
Killer Whale Headdress, c. 1970scedar wood, pigment, and leather, dimensions variable: 23.5 x 17 x 10.5 in (59.7 x 43.2 x 26.7 cm),
with affixed label inscribed in an unknown hand, "MADE by: / D. LA / FORTUNE".LOT 113
ESTIMATE: $4,000 — $6,000Further images
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The image of a human riding a Killer Whale is most often associated with Natsilane in Tlingit culture, the man who created the first Killer Whale, or with the story...The image of a human riding a Killer Whale is most often associated with Natsilane in Tlingit culture, the man who created the first Killer Whale, or with the story of Nanasimgit in Haida culture, about a man who rescued his wife from the Chief of the Undersea World.
This large cedar headdress is an earlier example of Lafortune’s work, showing considerable influence from more northern Northwest Coast cultures rather than customary Coast Salish forms or designs. In the 1970s, many Coast Salish artists learned to carve and create objects by studying northern-style forms, which were more familiar to the public and potential buyers. Like other Coast Salish artists of his generation, Lafortune has since gone on to create artworks more reflective of his Coast Salish heritage and is now regarded as a master carver.
This headdress is composed of four pieces: the body and flukes of the whale, the dorsal fin with a human figure, and the pectoral fins, which are attached with twine. The cedar headdress features angular formline elements in red and black consistent with a 1970s attribution, blue tertiary space fillers, and concentric circle eyes characteristic of the Central Coast style. From the crest, a relief-carved human figure emerges, its hands grasping the dorsal fin in a fine interplay of form and detail.
Christopher W. Smith
Provenance
An Ottawa Collection. -
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