UNIDENTIFIED HAIDA ARTIST
Pair of Carved Candlesticks, c. 1880 or 1890s
argillite, each 6 x 1.75 x 2 in (15.2 x 4.4 x 5.1 cm)
each unsigned.

Provenance
A Vancouver Collection.

Haida artists began carving a variety of objects with Haida subject matter once again by the 1880s, but made specifically for trade with outsiders. These included the ubiquitous model totem poles but also chests, model hoses, plates and platters, figures and figural groups, and candlesticks. Usually carved in the manner of model poles, candlesticks were shorter and usually depicted only two figures, stacked, or sometimes shown back-to-back. Presumably a number were carved in pairs, but the great majority have been separated over the years. These fine candlesticks are a rare pair, carved by the same hand though depicting different subjects.

The candlestick on the left shows a bear with fur, prominent nostrils, and sharp canines, with its clawed front paws on the forehead of the whale below. The whale’s tail is turned up in front, with large pectoral fins on each side, and possibly a doubled dorsal fin overlapping them. The whale was carved with upright ears simply to fill the space. The candlestick on the right shows three figures: uppermost is a bear, then a sea bear; the bottom figure is less easy to identify, being perhaps another bear or possibly a frog.

References: For four examples of late 19th c. argillite candlesticks see Peter L. Macnair and Alan J. Hoover, The Magic Leaves: A History of Haida Argillite Carving, (Victoria: Royal BC Museum, 1984/2002), figs. 166-169.