Dogfish Figure

About this object

Cultural context

contemporary art

Physical description

Carved argillite sculpture mounted unto an uncarved, diamond shaped piece of argillite stone. The figure is a dogfish with its tail curled to right side resting on one side of tail fluke and on the tip of the pectoral fins. Head: rounded protrusion above face has three sets of gills with a circle of ivory inlaid above two. Face: dogfish has bent brows above inlaid abalone shell pupils; long rectangular nose has bent tip touching teeth, base of nostril at each side touches upper lip band; triangular bared teeth; set of four curved lines on each side of mouth indicates gills. Incised into the stomach is an octopus with a crooked nose, eight tentacles and inlaid abalone shell eyes. The pectoral fins are wide at top, pointed at base and have ovoid and u decoration; wide protruding dorsal fin with sharply curved tip has curved lines and circle decoration at base; bone spike with curved tip at upper edge of dorsal fin, protrudes beyond fin; two ivory ovoids inlaid at base of tail flukes. Inscription on base reads: ‘Haida CW Aug.84’.