Description:

Unidentified Haida or Tshimshian Artist
SEAL FORM GREASE BOWL, 18TH OR EARLY 19TH CENTURY

wood, eulachon oil
4.25 x 8.5 x 5.25 in — 10.8 x 21.6 x 13.3 cm

Estimate: $50,000—70,000 CAD

  • Provenance: The Berthusen Collection, Lynden, WA
    Lynden Library, Lynden, WA
    Lynden Pioneer Museum, Lynden, WA
    Bonhams, San Francisco, CA, 14 Dec 2009, Lot 4201
    A Prominent Vancouver Collection, BC
  • Dimensions: 4.25 x 8.5 x 5.25 in — 10.8 x 21.6 x 13.3 cm
  • Medium: wood, eulachon oil
  • Notes: Stalked for meat, skin, and most of all, the rich sustaining blubber from which oil may be derived, the seal furnishes much of the basic sustenance required for survival in northern climates. It is the all important oil from the seal, which seal form bowls were created to hold. It is the bounty of the harvest which the seal makes possible that dictates the form of the bowl, in which so often the artist, as here, has emphasized the full, swollen belly of the animal. As in other bowls of this type, the lobes of the seal’s tail appear pinched together, a posture taken when the creatures are land-bound, the time when they are most often hunted.

    The present example was most likely carved by a Haida or Tshimshian artist in the late 18th or early 19th century. The bowl exhibits an exceptional clarity of form, and richness of colour. The once lightly toned wood appears lustrous and dark, with a thick sticky patina on the interior resulting from exuding oil that has saturated the wood.

    Acquired circa 1900 during the travels of Washington resident Olive Berthusen (b. 1881), or earlier by her father, a Washington sailor named Jack Stone. The bowl was willed to the city of Lynden, Washington upon Berthusen’s passing in 1937, displayed at the Lynden Library, and later Lynden Pioneer Museum before being deaccessioned in 2009.[1]

    [1] Troy Luginbill, “The Berthusen Collection from the Lynden Pioneer Museum, Lynden Washington", Bonhams Native American Art Auction, December 14 2009 (San Francisco: Bonhams, 2009) unpaged.
  • Condition: Condition commensurate with age.
    Please contact the specialist for further condition information.

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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

September 11, 2025 3:00 PM EDT
Toronto, ON, CA

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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