Western Washington State
Mid-19th century
Wood, natural pigments
Height 20 1/4" (51.4 cm)
Provenance: Gifted by Quileute medicine man Dickson Payne to Mrs. Linklater, Washington State, November 1923; J. McKillop, Washington; B. Henderson, Washington; J. Williams, Oregon
The Quileute people of the Olympic Peninsula in western Washington State maintained a ceremonial tradition centered on individual spiritual power acquired through vision quests and relationships with guardian spirits. Power figures of this type served as material representations of that personal spiritual connection, made for and used by individuals with access to specialist knowledge within the community. The medicine man's role as intermediary between the human and spirit worlds gave objects associated with his practice a specific ritual authority.
This figure is carved in wood with natural pigment remaining on the head and upper body, its elongated shaft-like form, carved head, and restrained body details giving the piece a direct ritual presence without decorative elaboration. The formal reduction of the body to its essential elements is characteristic of Quileute sculptural practice, distinct from the more complex figural traditions of neighboring Northwest Coast groups. The pigment retention and surface condition are consistent with the documented age and careful preservation of the object.
The 1923 gift from Quileute medicine man Dickson Payne to Mrs. Linklater of Washington State is a documented transfer that establishes the object's origin within the Quileute community at an early date, with a clear named source. The subsequent chain of ownership through Washington and Oregon collections provides an unbroken record of custody across a century. Power figures with this quality of early documented provenance and named indigenous source are seldom encountered in the market.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Western Washington State
Mid-19th century
Wood, natural pigments
Height 20 1/4" (51.4 cm)
Provenance: Gifted by Quileute medicine man Dickson Payne to Mrs. Linklater, Washington State, November 1923; J. McKillop, Washington; B. Henderson, Washington; J. Williams, Oregon
The Quileute people of the Olympic Peninsula in western Washington State maintained a ceremonial tradition centered on individual spiritual power acquired through vision quests and relationships with guardian spirits. Power figures of this type served as material representations of that personal spiritual connection, made for and used by individuals with access to specialist knowledge within the community. The medicine man's role as intermediary between the human and spirit worlds gave objects associated with his practice a specific ritual authority.
This figure is carved in wood with natural pigment remaining on the head and upper body, its elongated shaft-like form, carved head, and restrained body details giving the piece a direct ritual presence without decorative elaboration. The formal reduction of the body to its essential elements is characteristic of Quileute sculptural practice, distinct from the more complex figural traditions of neighboring Northwest Coast groups. The pigment retention and surface condition are consistent with the documented age and careful preservation of the object.
The 1923 gift from Quileute medicine man Dickson Payne to Mrs. Linklater of Washington State is a documented transfer that establishes the object's origin within the Quileute community at an early date, with a clear named source. The subsequent chain of ownership through Washington and Oregon collections provides an unbroken record of custody across a century. Power figures with this quality of early documented provenance and named indigenous source are seldom encountered in the market.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Image 1 of 5
Image 2 of 5
Image 3 of 5
Image 4 of 5
Image 5 of 5