BEAU DICK (1955-2017) KWAKWA̱KA̱ʼWAKW
Moon Crest, 1988
wood, abalone, copper, and acrylic paint, 10.5 x 9.5 x 3 in (26.7 x 24.1 x 7.6 cm)
titled, signed, and dated, "Moon Crest / Beau Dick / 88".

Provenance
Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver, their label affixed to the verso;
Acquired from the above by the present Private Collection, Toronto.

In Moon Crest, 1988, Beau Dick ventures beyond his Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw roots to embrace the Haida art style, creating a work that blends tradition with personal expression. Northwest Coast Indigenous art often features beings and creatures associated with families or houses. While there seems to be a consensus on certain attributes derived from oral traditions, the exact meanings can vary. The moon, for instance, while not a ubiquitous figure, does appear with some regularity throughout Northwest Coast art. Within Haida tradition, the moon has held unique importance as a crest for a select few esteemed chiefs and is thought to embody feminine qualities, due to its cyclical nature and link to the concepts of rebirth and regeneration, though this cannot be definitively applied across all instances.

The artist’s craftsmanship shines in the mask’s warm wood foundation, where the tree’s natural rings swell outward like ripples in a pond across the meticulously carved features to accentuate the moon's fullness. The face of the moon is tenderly set within a tranquil teal frame. The same striking red that encircles the mask is used to highlight the nose and mouth, infusing the piece with vitality and the essence of breath. The great round eyes and teeth are inset with shimmering abalone, reflecting light in a manner reminiscent of the moon's own luminosity.

This delicate portrayal may evoke historical parallels, reminiscent of a work from c. 1850 housed in the Canadian Museum of History (artifact no. VII-B-9, reproduced on the cover of Dean R. Snow’s The Archaeology of North America, [New York: Viking Press, 1976].)