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Lot Essay
De nombreuses histoires de la côte Nord-Ouest racontent diverses interactions entre les humains et les ours, souvent liées à un emblème clanique. Largement illustré à la fois comme esprit et comme animal totémique, l’ours est parfois représenté dévorant un être humain (cf. Wardwell, A., Tangible Visions: Northwest Coast Indian Shamanism and Its Art, New York, 1996, p. 20 pour une amulette Tlingit illustrant cette scène). Une ambiguïté deumeure quant à la représentation de notre peigne. Symbole de la vie spirituelle de l’animal, la langue pourrait indiquer également l’échange ésotérique entre l’humain et l’ours, représentés peut-être dans un acte de transformation chamanique. Le fait que l’ours soit représenté dans une posture humaine, agenouillé, pourrait corroborer cette interprétation. Ce peigne, résultat du travail d’un maître-sculpteur accompli, est une merveille de l’art de la côte Nord-Ouest.
Pour un peigne comparable, il faut se référer aux objets de la collection de Menil (inv. n° 74-049DJ). Un autre, représentant un ours et un esprit, acquis auprès de G.T. Emmons, fait maintenant partie de la collection de l’American Museum of Natural History (inv. n° 16.1/795), voir Wardwell, 1996, pp. 209 et 304.
Many Northwest Coast stories speak of various interactions between humans and bears, often related to a particular family crest. Largely illustrated as both a spirit helper or totemic animal the bear is sometimes represented in the act of devouring a human being (cf. Wardwell, A., op. cit., 1996, p. 20 for a Tlingit amulet). This particular iconography appears to be illustrated in the present work. It is unclear if the bear sticks out his tongue or if it simply holds the hair of the human figure in its mouth. This ambiguity might be intentional: as a symbol of the spiritual life of the animal, the tongue could indicate here the esoteric exchange between the human and the bear, very likely represented in an act of shamanic transformation. The fact that the bear is illustrated in the human posture of kneeling might further support this interpretation.
The work of an accomplished master carver this lot is a gem of Northwest Coast art. For a comparable comb, now in the Menil collection (inv. no. 74-049DJ). Another comb representing a bear and a spirit figure, purchased from G.T. Emmons is now part of the collection of the American Museum of Natural Hiostory, (inv. no. 16.1/795), see Wardwell, A., op. cit., 1996, pp. 209 and 304.
Pour un peigne comparable, il faut se référer aux objets de la collection de Menil (inv. n° 74-049DJ). Un autre, représentant un ours et un esprit, acquis auprès de G.T. Emmons, fait maintenant partie de la collection de l’American Museum of Natural History (inv. n° 16.1/795), voir Wardwell, 1996, pp. 209 et 304.
Many Northwest Coast stories speak of various interactions between humans and bears, often related to a particular family crest. Largely illustrated as both a spirit helper or totemic animal the bear is sometimes represented in the act of devouring a human being (cf. Wardwell, A., op. cit., 1996, p. 20 for a Tlingit amulet). This particular iconography appears to be illustrated in the present work. It is unclear if the bear sticks out his tongue or if it simply holds the hair of the human figure in its mouth. This ambiguity might be intentional: as a symbol of the spiritual life of the animal, the tongue could indicate here the esoteric exchange between the human and the bear, very likely represented in an act of shamanic transformation. The fact that the bear is illustrated in the human posture of kneeling might further support this interpretation.
The work of an accomplished master carver this lot is a gem of Northwest Coast art. For a comparable comb, now in the Menil collection (inv. no. 74-049DJ). Another comb representing a bear and a spirit figure, purchased from G.T. Emmons is now part of the collection of the American Museum of Natural Hiostory, (inv. no. 16.1/795), see Wardwell, A., op. cit., 1996, pp. 209 and 304.