Figure Item Number: A7235 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Stone carving of a woman sitting on the back of a large fish, in front of the dorsal fin. Carved from mottled white-grey stone.
Iconographic Meaning
Sculpture depiction of a nude woman riding on the back of a killer whale. This may allude to one of several different clan-owned stories from the Tsimshian, Tlingit, and Haida oral histories. The stories share a theme of a woman being kidnapped by the Killer Whale Chief and later rescued by her husband.
Narrative
The killer whale sculpture appears to be the work of Tsimshian artist Samuel Elwitt. Another possibility is that this work was carved by Elwitt in wood, and then copied by marble-working grave sculptors in Victoria, as was sometimes done for grave markers of high-ranking individuals. The four fins depicted on the bottom sides of the whale are consistent with Elwitt’s carving style and appear on all of his known depictions of killer whales, something that appears to be unique to his work. The piece was recorded by the donor as having been collected at Skeena Crossing, but no other provenance is known.
Item History
- Made by Samuel Elwitt (Maker) in British Columbia, Canada between 1890 and 1910
- Collected in Skeena Crossing, British Columbia, Canada
- Owned by Leroy Pattison before July 1964
- Received from H. R. MacMillan (Funding source) and Leroy Pattison (Seller) during July 1964
What
Who
- Culture
- Tsimshian ? or Gitxsan ?
- Creator
- Samuel Elwitt (Maker)
- Previous Owner
- Leroy Pattison
- Received from
- H. R. MacMillan (Funding source) and Leroy Pattison (Seller)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- British Columbia, Canada
- Collected in
- Skeena Crossing, British Columbia, Canada
When
- Creation Date
- between 1890 and 1910
- Ownership Date
- before July 1964
- Acquisition Date
- during July 1964
Other
- Item Classes
- carvings & sculpture
- Condition
- good
- Accession Number
- 2151/0001