Nisga'a (Nisga'a People), Gingolx (Kincolith) Village, Nass River Mouth, British Columbia
Hardwood
Height 11¼ in. (28.5 cm)
Provenance: Seattle area private collection
Old hand inscription: "Gifted by Chief of the Nasgah Indians....the bear tribe...Kincolith of Nass 1897"
Art Loss Register certificate provided: S00253769
This ceremonial club was made by a Tsimshian artist for the Nisga'a region at Gingolx, near the mouth of the Nass River in British Columbia. The old inscription connects the object to Kincolith and records a gift associated with a chief of the Nisga'a people in 1897. The carved crouching wolf relates to Northwest Coast crest imagery and to the ceremonial authority of high-ranking leaders.
The club is carved from dense hardwood and has a glossy, well-handled surface from age and use. The compact shaft and animal finial give the object both ritual force and sculptural clarity, while the striking surface shows wear consistent with ceremonial handling. A related example collected by Lieutenant George Thornton Emmons at Gingolx in the 1880s is recorded in the Smithsonian collection, providing a useful comparison for this form.
The hand inscription, dating the gift to 1897, is an uncommon survival that ties the object directly to a named village and a chiefly context. An Art Loss Register certificate accompanies the piece, and the provenance traces to a Seattle area private collection. Objects with this level of documented field history from the late nineteenth century Northwest Coast are seldom encountered.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Nisga'a (Nisga'a People), Gingolx (Kincolith) Village, Nass River Mouth, British Columbia
Hardwood
Height 11¼ in. (28.5 cm)
Provenance: Seattle area private collection
Old hand inscription: "Gifted by Chief of the Nasgah Indians....the bear tribe...Kincolith of Nass 1897"
Art Loss Register certificate provided: S00253769
This ceremonial club was made by a Tsimshian artist for the Nisga'a region at Gingolx, near the mouth of the Nass River in British Columbia. The old inscription connects the object to Kincolith and records a gift associated with a chief of the Nisga'a people in 1897. The carved crouching wolf relates to Northwest Coast crest imagery and to the ceremonial authority of high-ranking leaders.
The club is carved from dense hardwood and has a glossy, well-handled surface from age and use. The compact shaft and animal finial give the object both ritual force and sculptural clarity, while the striking surface shows wear consistent with ceremonial handling. A related example collected by Lieutenant George Thornton Emmons at Gingolx in the 1880s is recorded in the Smithsonian collection, providing a useful comparison for this form.
The hand inscription, dating the gift to 1897, is an uncommon survival that ties the object directly to a named village and a chiefly context. An Art Loss Register certificate accompanies the piece, and the provenance traces to a Seattle area private collection. Objects with this level of documented field history from the late nineteenth century Northwest Coast are seldom encountered.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
