William (Bill) Ronald Reid (Canadian 1920-1998)
Dogfish Woman Bronze from The Spirit of Haida Gwaii
cast bronze sculpture, edition 9/9, bears signature, factory stamp and edition "© Bill Reid 1986-91 TX IX/IX"
Provenance: James R. (Jim) Houston Estate
Size: 34 h x 30 w x 38 d in
Z19726
The monumental sculpture “The Spirit of Haida Gwaii - The Black Canoe” was commissioned in 1986 for the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and a second version “The Spirit of Haida Gwaii - The Jade Canoe” was later installed in the International Terminal at the Vancouver International Airport (1993). Upon completion, Bill Reid cast two images in bronze, “Dogfish Woman” and “Bear Mother” as stand-alone sculptures. The edition of 9 sculptures were cast at the Tallix Foundry in Beacon N.Y., and finished in black (argillite), green (jade) and bronze patina.
Dogfish Woman is seen here in her human form, with her snout as a crown and a labret in her lower lip which is a sign of Haida aristocracy. Bill Reid often rendered the Dogfish Woman, the powerful supernatural Haida mythological shaman or medicine woman who could transform from a dogfish to a woman and back again. Transformation is often at the heart of Haida mythology. Ancestors and supernatural beings are often described as having attributes of at least two entities, thus allowing them to transcend typical limitations of one species. The story of the Dogfish Woman has been partially lost, the story was recorded by the anthropologist Franz Boas: “A woman went travelling with her husband. She used to make fun of the dogfish. They went to visit a small rock in the sea. When they were out there, the dogfish, whose home the rock was, came and took the woman down into the sea. There she discovered that the dogfish were really people. They had taken off their dogfish blankets. After she had stayed in the house for some time, fins began to grow upon her arms, her legs, and her back. Her husband was searching for her everywhere, but he was not able to find her. After a number of years, he found her. Her face had remained unchanged; but fins had grown on her arms, on her legs, on her back, and on her head. She never returned. Ever since that time her family have used the dogfish crest, and their house is called the Dogfish House.”