Featured Birch Bark Biting, cedar bark ? and mini-mask

Hi All, gotta love technology, my friend was at an estate sale and face timed me to see if I was interested in anything there, I said yes to these 3 items
My favourite is the Birch Bark Biting art I haven't seen one of these for a long time so was nice to be able to get it.


short video on Birch Bark Biting













#2 are these cedar bark rings, 8" and 10" - I'm drawing a blank, are these for wearing on your head?










#3 unsigned mini mask, 2" x 2 1/2", according to on-line search this is the work of Arte George Coast Salish, well known for his miniatures

 

the Tsonokwa attribution to A G , is most likely !

the close ended cedar bark could serve several purposes....... head gear , not being one of them.
Traditionally ....that bark was woven flat..

The biting is lovely..

 

thanks komokwa, I think the biting is lovely too quite amazing to watch how they do it

geez, that is all I could come up with and it is wrong lol

 

I've seen your twists used on round mask carvings and plaques...
I have an open ended one..... six feet long..

 

I guess it could be worn as a headband...... but not in any way traditional..

 

cool video, thanks for sharing cx, love how it looks with light shining through it from below, also the pic with her daughter (double bite)

 

i would think its art that takes a little bit outta you as well (all that biting)

 

I have never heard of this Birch Bark Biting. It's really unusual to actually make a piece of art by biting something. Very cool.

 

I've also never heard of Birch Bark Biting. Video was really good, can see why you were thrilled to get this example!

Thanks for sharing.

 

Question...is the wee mask a depiction of Pook?

 

Tsonoqwa........

pook-ubs is different

 

I was going by the pursed lips...which I have only seen on a pook. A friend has a mid-century mask...I'll try to get a couple good pics of it, for here. Thanks!

 

thanks everyone

yes, they are amazing lit up, I loved the tee pees

thanks komokwa

 

The biting technique's amazing-guess just about every part pf our anatomy can express itself artistically ?
The illuminated ones are a wonder.

 

@komokwa

As promised...
He's signed...but not easily taken down, an' harder to re-install on the wall. My friend cannot recall the artist's name...sigh. Perhaps his style is sufficient for likely ID?

The story I've gotten is that pook is a Makah fisherman (whether little fish or whales is conjectural) who went over the side into saltchuck an' held his breath. The Makah nation is ~40 miles west of my home; Neah Bay.

Whatever you can add to all that will be most welcome. In good time we'll manage to get pics of the backside, an' the signature. Thanks for lookin'!

 

sunken eyes , loose skin on the cheeks , pursed lips calling out , cedar bark to suggest hair strewn with seaweed and underwater flotsam ...... a haunting mask to be sure !

Pook - Ubs , the legend of the drowned Whaler .

Your pal has a nice mask !
I'd suggest an American Makah , whom I may or may not know , circa 1970's or 80's , without seeing the back or siggy , which is always a big part of identifying a carving like this.
Micah Vogel , Micah McCarty , Greg Colfax , are some of the names that come to mind......... but ya gotta see the back .

Younger carvers will use a rougher cedar bark, but as they develop , the bark tends to be finer or beaten for a more subtle finer look...........



as Greg Colfax shows here. More mask, less cedar..!

My Dad always talked joyfully about going fishing in Neah Bay when he was younger !!

Thanks for showing this !

 

Thank you, komokwa...we very much appreciate your comments about Pook-Ubs.
I'll ping you as soon as we get him down for pics of the back an' signature!

 

I'm hoping that'll clear things up !

 

Yes...well done!

 

what I meant was seeing the back of the mask.................