Featured Tsimshian Witchy Woman Mask Artist

I'm trying to identify the artist of this mask. The photo of the signature carving is included. The title is Witchy Woman of the Woods and was carved by a Tsimshian artist. This mask was purchased from a gallery in Vancouver in the late 80's/early 90's by my late father.

Thank you for your help.

 

Welcome!

I will "tag" someone who may be able to help. @komokwa

 

hummm...i don't recognize the siggy...

It's a Tsonokwa Mask.... Wild Woman of the Woods.... a Kwakiutl Legend...

the eye's are a little on the big side...but it's got the look..





can we see any other shot's of the back..?

 

Is the name "Witchy Woman" written on the back, or the Tsimshian attribution? It would be more normal to find Tsonokwa or a variant spelling, or "wild woman of the woods."
Are the initials AA; not FF?
The style is familiar, but my mind is not coming up with a name.

 

witchy woman....is a song...

& I dislike guys who make it hard to identify their work...

still....need more pics...!!!!

 

Let's see, who likes to give their carvings quirky names....Robert Davidson, Beau Dick, but isn't theirs....Alfred Robertson, if the initials are AR?

 

Thank you! I will contact them.

 

Sorry for the late reply. I wasn't getting notifications there were replies. :-(

I now have physical possession of the mask and took better photos.

Yes, "Witchy Woman of the Woods" is carved into the back. Most of my search results come up with the song. Haha

 

Yes, the Witchy Woman of the Woods and Tsimshian are both carved into the back of the mask. (I uploaded some photos of the back.)

The signature marks are very difficult to identify as specific letters. There could be an M or an H or....lol
I haven't been able to find anything to match, and the artists whose work is around that time or style rarely show a "carved" signature on the back, if at all. Usually they are signed.

 

Sorry for the lengthy silence! I will check the thread now that I know it's not notifying me
pics uploaded

 

in the late 80's/early 90's.......................i was actively purchasing , in Vancouver.

I don not recognize the siggy......or any Tsimshian artist who would have carved a Kwakiutl Tsonkwa...

Maybe , contacting a few of the older Galleries , and showing them the mask....could bring results...

 

Thank you for your fast response. Unfortunately I have sent multiple galleries (including the one it was purchased from) email requests for help. I have yet to receive any reply. :-( I have even emailed some Tsimshian artists who also carve masks to see if they might know. Still hoping...

 

Who was it bought from ?

 

Hill's Native Art

Tara did reply to my first email and said she'd try to look up the signature or give me an estimate of its value if she couldn't identify them, but has never responded to subsequent emails. That was in April.

 

They do get carvings from a wide variety of artists...............I no longer know anyone there so I can't help further.....

 

Hill's is a well-known gallery, but they do sell a whole lot of masks, from a very wide variety of artists, indeed.
I don't recognize the signature; it does appear to be genuine native work. I don't have any current contacts there either.

 

maybe Tara is busy with the Going Out of Business Sale !!

http://www.hills.ca/

 

Beau Dick's work strongly resembles my mask....anyone know what his signature would look like?

 

signed in pencil.............

 

Or Robert Scow Jr? I emailed him just now to ask.