Willie Seaweed, close up profile, Blunden Harbor, B.C., 1951. Willie Seaweed (1873-1967), one of the most important Kwakiutl carvers in the 20th century. Per Door Book/Accession Record: Willie Seaweed, close-up profile.
Donor:
William R. Heick
Collection place:
Blunden Harbor, British Columbia, Canada
Culture or time period:
Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl)
Collector:
William R. Heick
Collection date:
1951
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Black-and-white prints (photographs)
Accession date:
March 22, 2000
Department:
Still and motion photography
Dimensions:
width 25.4 centimeters and length 35.56 centimeters
Comment:
Per labels provided by Ira Jacknis: Willie Seaweed. Blunden Harbour, B.C., 1951. Willie Seaweed (1873-1967) was one of the most important Kwakiutl carvers of the twentieth century. The English word "seaweed" is actually an anglicization of his chief's name, "Siwidi", meaning "Many Travel by Canoe to be at his Potlatches." Seaweed worked as a fisherman and a professional artist, making totem poles, masks, rattles, drums, and scenes for ceremonial use, which he rendered in an elaborate, flamboyant style. In the full figure portrait, he holds a rattle and a "copper", or ceremonial plaque. Seaweed carved his headdress, representing a killer whale and two ravens; it is now in the National Museum of the American Indian.