Description:

Dempsey Bob, OC (b. 1948), Tahltan, Tlingit
YOUNG WOMAN WITH LABRET MASK, 1973

wood, horsehair, abalone
signed and titled verso
overall 17 x 8 x 3.75 in — 43.2 x 20.3 x 9.5 cm

Estimate: $10,000—15,000 CAD

Important:
Many countries prohibit or restrict importation or exportation of property containing ivory, whale bone, sealskin, and/or products derived from other endangered or protected plant or animal species, and require special licenses or permits in order to import or export such property. It is the responsibility of the buyer to ensure that the item is properly and lawfully exported / imported. Please do not hesitate to contact one of our specialists for further details.

  • Provenance: Private Collection, New Mexico
  • Dimensions: overall 17 x 8 x 3.75 in — 43.2 x 20.3 x 9.5 cm
  • Medium: wood, horsehair, abalone
  • Notes: Dempsey Bob is widely accepted as the leading carver of British Columbia’s Northwest Coast, and an elder spokesman of Tahltan and Tlingit mainland cultures.

    In its 2022 retrospective Wolves: The Art of Dempsey Bob, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection said of his work:

    Bob’s carvings blend traditional narratives and iconography with contemporary influences. His exposure to oral histories, songs, and dances from a young age has contributed to his understanding of art and its purpose within the community. Equal parts traditionalist and vanguard artist, Bob acknowledges the lineage to which he is indebted, yet he refuses nostalgia. Instead, he boldly reinterprets the traditional characters and iconography from the age-old stories of his people, at times inflecting those traditional tales with influences drawn from world art. Bob’s work urges a re-examination of humankind’s place in the natural world that is both timely and urgently needed.[1]

    Bob, a sculptor of exceptionally light touch and a keen eye for clarity in form, has produced the majority of his known work during his mature period, which focused on transformation imagery, making portrait masks such as the present circa 1973 example exceptionally uncommon. The mask depicts a young woman wearing a cedar bark braid, and abalone labret of the style commonly worn by high caste Northern Northwest Coast women in the early 19th century. Bob has carved the mask in hard alderwood, and skillfully pared back the form to a wafer-thinness.

    Bob’s carvings are much sought after, and are rare on the secondary market. Waddington’s is pleased to offer Young Woman with Labret for the first time since its initial acquisition from the artist in 1973.

    [1] Wolves: The Art of Dempsey Bob, About the Exhibition, McMichael Collection of Canadian Art, accessed 17 April 2026, https://mcmichael.com/exhibition/wolves-the-art-of-dempsey-bob/
  • Condition: Please contact the specialist for condition information.

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CITES WARNING:
Restrictions exist regarding the import and export of species protected under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). This includes but is not limited to items made of or containing bone (whalebone etc.), ivory, tortoise shell, seal skin, rhinoceros horn and any other animal part and is strictly controlled or forbidden by most countries. Please review your country's laws before bidding on pieces made of or containing these restricted items. It is the sole responsibility of the buyer to inquire about and obtain the proper permits for artwork purchased that may contain restricted materials, if such permit can be obtained. Please contact the department for further assistance. For more information please visit www.cites.org

May 28, 2026 6:00 PM EDT
Toronto, ON, CA

Waddington's

You agree to pay a buyer’s premium, as outlined below, and any applicable taxes and shipping.
Buyer's Premium
$0 - $25,000:
25.00%
$25,001+:
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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
CA$0 CA$199 CA$10
CA$200 CA$499 CA$20
CA$500 CA$999 CA$50
CA$1,000 CA$1,999 CA$100
CA$2,000 CA$4,999 CA$200
CA$5,000 CA$9,999 CA$500
CA$10,000 CA$19,999 CA$1,000
CA$20,000 CA$49,999 CA$2,000
CA$50,000 CA$99,999 CA$5,000
CA$100,000 CA$299,999 CA$10,000
CA$300,000 CA$999,999 CA$25,000
CA$1,000,000 CA$1,999,999 CA$50,000
CA$2,000,000 CA$2,999,999 CA$100,000
CA$3,000,000 CA$4,999,999 CA$200,000
CA$5,000,000 + CA$300,000