Henry Hunt

b. 1923 Tsax̱is (Fort Rupert), B.C. d. 1985 Victoria, B.C.

Culture

Kwagu'ł; Kwakwaka'wakw

Bio

Henry Hunt was born on October 16, 1923 at Fort Rupert on northern Vancouver Island into the Kwagulth cultural group. His father was Jonathan Hunt and his grandfather was the great George Hunt. He was trained by his father-in-law, Mungo Martin, and influenced in his art by Arthur Shaughnessy. This is significant because he is one of the few senior Indigenous artists who served an apprenticeship under an old master in an unbroken chain of Indigenous art tradition.

His major medium is wood and he is world famous for the masks and totem poles he carved. He worked at the British Columbia Provincial Museum from 1954 to 1975 as senior carver, where he reproduced many of the old and historic totem poles of the Northwest Coast. In 1970-71, Henry and his son Tony carved a thirty-five-foot totem pole erected in the cemetery at Alert Bay, Comoront Island, B.C.-birth place of Mungo Martin- as a memorial to the latter.

During the 60's at the Museum he was responsible for the training of many younger artists, including his sons Richard, Tony and Stanley. The Hunt family has and continues to add to the legacy of native art in British Columbia. He died in 1985.

His work is inspired through his continued participation and interest in Kwagulth dances and ceremonies.*

*Cited from www.pacificeditions.ca

Artworks

1 - 37 of 37

Title	Date Made	Place Made	Collections	Materials	Measurements	Edition	Credit Line
Untitled (Model Pole)	ca. 1963	Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada	Woodwork	Wood, paint	overall: 54.50 cm x 34.00 cm x 23.00 cm	-	Gift of A.H. and E. (Bessie) Fitzgerald
Wolf	1967	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Red cedar; stain	overall: 18.41 cm x 25.40 cm x 12.70 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Eagle and Salmon	1979	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 59.40 cm x 58.20 cm x 0.00 cm	Edition of 600	Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Grant, Purchased from the Collection of Vincent Rickard
Cannibal Woman	1979	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 66.00 cm x 53.00 cm x 0.00 cm	Artists proof xlvi/lii/79 for edition of 600	Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Grant, Purchased from the Collection of Vincent Rickard
Salmon (limited edition print)	1978	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Works on Paper	serigraph	overall: 36.83 cm x 53.34 cm x 0.00 cm	112/150 (limited edition)	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Killer Whale	1973	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Yellow cedar; paint	overall: 17.78 cm x 24.13 cm x 6.35 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Mouse Mask	1984	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Red cedar; bark; Hudson's Bay blanket; paint; nails; string	overall: 45.72 cm x 25.40 cm x 26.67 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Sea Otter Feast Bowl	c.1970s	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Red cedar; paint	overall: 11.43 cm x 48.26 cm x 17.78 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Pugwis: Man from the Sea	1976	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 45.50 cm x 35.50 cm x 0.00 cm	Edition of 150	Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Grant, Purchased from the Collection of Vincent Rickard
Beaver Mask	1963	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Red cedar; stain	overall: 26.70 cm x 23.00 cm x 18.40 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Kwakwaka' wakw Chief and Frog	1980	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Red cedar; paint	overall: 36.83 cm x 22.86 cm x 11.43 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Kwakwaka' wakw Eagle and Bear Model Totem Pole	1969	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Yellow cedar, paint	overall: 53.98 cm x 45.72 cm x 11.43 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Killer Whale & Hawk	n.d.	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 38 cm x 55 cm x 0 cm	P/P	Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Grant, Purchased from the Collection of Vincent Rickard
Pugwis (Man of the Sea) Mask	ca. 1958-1963	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Wood	overall: 30.00 cm x 26.00 cm x 20.00 cm	-	Gift of A.H. and E. (Bessie) Fitzgerald
Kwakiutl Thunderbird	7/11/1980	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 36.20 cm x 43.18 cm x 0.00 cm	Potlatch print	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Kwakiutl Thunderbird	Oct. 15, 2003	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 25.40 cm x 40.50 cm	Potlatch print	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Bear Mask	1963	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Red cedar; stain	overall: 20.32 cm x 16.51 cm x 12.70 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Pugwis Mask	1963	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Red cedar	overall: 20.32 cm x 15.88 cm x 15.24 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Eagle and Wild Woman	1978	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 38.00 cm x 50.00 cm	32/170	Gift from the Collection of George and Christiane Smyth
Kwakiutl Thunderbird	1979	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 38.00 cm x 55.00 cm x 0.00 cm	3/700	Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Grant, Purchased from the Collection of Vincent Rickard
Bookwas Mask	1963	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Red cedar	overall: 20.32 cm x 15.24 cm x 15.24 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Totem pole (Replica of an original at Gitlaxt’aamiks) Eagle on the Decayed Pole	1963	Nisga'a, Nass River, British Columbia	Woodwork	Paint; red cedar	overall: 1531.60 cm x 0.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Transferred from the Royal B.C. Museum
Totem Pole (Replica of a Gitxsan Memorial Pole) The Raven Soaring	1963	Gitwangak (Kitwanga), British Columbia, Canada	Woodwork	Cedar; latex paint	overall: 1615.40 cm x 0.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Transferred from the Royal B.C. Museum
Kwakiutl Pugwis	1980	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 43.18 cm x 35.56 cm x 0.00 cm	68/150	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Kumugwe Mask	1963	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Red cedar; stain	overall: 40.64 cm x 15.88 cm x 20.32 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Seal Bowl	1971	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Red cedar; paint	overall: 19.80 cm x 59.40 cm x 23.10 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Raven Head with Open Beak	1971	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Red cedar; stain	overall: 13.20 cm x 50.15 cm x 16.23 cm	One of a series of crests; unknown number in series	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Man from the Sea #2	1978	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 43.20 cm x 35.40 cm x 0.00 cm	Printers proof for edition of 600	Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Grant, Purchased from the Collection of Vincent Rickard
Thunderbird	1967	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Red cedar; stain	overall: 20.32 cm x 29.21 cm x 13.34 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Kumugwe and Crane Mask	1980	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Red cedar; paint	overall: 41.91 cm x 58.42 cm x 34.29 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Killer Whale	1973	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Yellow cedar; paint	overall: 31.11 cm x 46.99 cm x 12.70 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Eagle and Wild Woman	n.d.	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 37.70 cm x 50.00 cm x 0.00 cm	1/170	Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Grant, Purchased from the Collection of Vincent Rickard
D' Sonoqua Mask	1963	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Woodwork	Red cedar; paint	overall: 20.32 cm x 16.51 cm x 15.24 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Salmon	1981	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 36.50 cm x 53.40 cm x 0.00 cm	Edition of 150	Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Grant, Purchased from the Collection of Vincent Rickard
Eagle and Wild Woman (limited edition print)	1979	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 38.10 cm x 50.16 cm	Limited edition proof; artist's or printer's proof	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Eagle and Salmon (limited edition print)	1979	Tsaxis (Fort Rupert); British Columbia; Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 59.69 cm x 58.42 cm x 0.00 cm	Artist's proof xxxii/xli (limited edition)	Gift of Dr. Peter Smart
Wild Man (Kwakiutl Art)	n.d.	Fort Rupert, British Columbia, Canada	Ceramics	Ceramic; glaze	overall: 12.50 cm x 24.00 cm x 5.50 cm	-	The White and Veillette Study Collection; Gift of Gary White and John Veillette

1 - 37 of 37

Name (English only)

Henry Hunt

Brief_Bio

b. 1923 Tsax̱is (Fort Rupert), B.C. d. 1985 Victoria, B.C.

Artist Detail - v3

Artworks