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Deeply engraved and completely encircling the tapering bone tube, the designs of soul catchers most frequently follow this conceptual model. The ends of the symmetrically-chosen bone section (bear's leg bone fills the bill, but some other source including wood and goat horn are known to have been used) are adapted to portray the open mouths of creatures which vary in appearance from wolves and bears to whales. The clan tradition of the owner may influence the emblems contained thereon, or they may be selected by the shaman from among his spirit helpers, who could dwell in either the sea, land, or air. Without nostrils or obvious ears, the heads depicted here may represent those of whales or other sea mammals. It is very common on these objects to see a humanoid face in the middle of the composition, which could in fact symbolize the captured spirit, safely held within and protected by the fierce creatures carved so firmly into the bone surface. Some soul catchers include blue-green abalone inlays, carefully cut and fit into the surface, which sometimes goes missing, but this one appears not to have been embellished in that fashion. (From the Catalog of the Thaw Collection of American Indian Art, 2nd ed.)
ProvenanceEdith Walker, Vancouver, British Columbia, collected prior to 1908; descended in family; Christie's, London, England, 1989, lot 31
BibliographySotheby's (London) 1966, p.22, lot 62c.
Christie's. (London). July 4, 1989, lot 31.
Vincent, Gilbert T. Masterpieces of American Indian Art. New York: Harry Abrams, 1995, p.75.
Wardwell, Allen. Tangible Visions: Northwest Coast Indian Shamanism and its Art. New York: Monacelli Press/Corvus Press, 1996, p.200, fig.281.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.360.
Fognell, Eva and Alexander Brier Marr, eds. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum, 2nd ed. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2016, p. 395.
Culture
Tsimshian
Soul Catcher
Date1840-1870
DimensionsOverall: 7/8 × 6 3/8 in. (2.2 × 16.2 cm)
Object numberT0172
Credit LineLoan from the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust
Photograph by Richard Walker
Label TextThe descriptive English name soul catcher has been applied to these gracefully balanced shaman's tools, said to be employed to contain the lost souls of people the shaman has been charged with healing. Shamanic healing focuses on the spiritual cause of symptoms and illness, rather than on the symptoms themselves as is the case in scientific medicine. The cause might be spirit possession, or the patient's own soul may have been influenced by witchcraft and become out of balance with the physical body. The shaman's task would be to recover that 'lost' soul and return the patient's spiritual well-being, after which the physical symptoms would be overcome by the body's revitalized defenses.Deeply engraved and completely encircling the tapering bone tube, the designs of soul catchers most frequently follow this conceptual model. The ends of the symmetrically-chosen bone section (bear's leg bone fills the bill, but some other source including wood and goat horn are known to have been used) are adapted to portray the open mouths of creatures which vary in appearance from wolves and bears to whales. The clan tradition of the owner may influence the emblems contained thereon, or they may be selected by the shaman from among his spirit helpers, who could dwell in either the sea, land, or air. Without nostrils or obvious ears, the heads depicted here may represent those of whales or other sea mammals. It is very common on these objects to see a humanoid face in the middle of the composition, which could in fact symbolize the captured spirit, safely held within and protected by the fierce creatures carved so firmly into the bone surface. Some soul catchers include blue-green abalone inlays, carefully cut and fit into the surface, which sometimes goes missing, but this one appears not to have been embellished in that fashion. (From the Catalog of the Thaw Collection of American Indian Art, 2nd ed.)
ProvenanceEdith Walker, Vancouver, British Columbia, collected prior to 1908; descended in family; Christie's, London, England, 1989, lot 31
BibliographySotheby's (London) 1966, p.22, lot 62c.
Christie's. (London). July 4, 1989, lot 31.
Vincent, Gilbert T. Masterpieces of American Indian Art. New York: Harry Abrams, 1995, p.75.
Wardwell, Allen. Tangible Visions: Northwest Coast Indian Shamanism and its Art. New York: Monacelli Press/Corvus Press, 1996, p.200, fig.281.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.360.
Fognell, Eva and Alexander Brier Marr, eds. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum, 2nd ed. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2016, p. 395.
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