Bonehead

Designed & Sculpted by Motu Mikey
Totem Edition Painted by Emily Gribbin
Inspired by the Tlingit Tribes of SE Alaska
Initial Release: April 19th 2023
Bone Edition: 50
Totem Edition: 30
Medium: Cone 5 Stoneware

Inspiration

In 1882, George T. Emmons, a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, was stationed in Pinta, Alaska. He knew very little about the native Tlingit and Tahltan tribes, but before long, he became captivated by their culture and traditions, such as Chilkat blanket weaving, bear hunting and their ancient beliefs. While on leave, George encountered a Tlingit man who wielded a strange looking staff. Oddly enough, it was actually a tall war club, the inspiration for my first mug, a Marquesan U'u. 3500 miles of ocean separated these two archipelagos and yet, this piece of Marquesan art had found it's way across the sea.

While browsing in a local Native American art gallery, I saw an old whale vertebrae. The bone was modified and a few faint features had been carved into the base. A mouth, a few teeth. The rest of the features were lost, perhaps once they had been painted on but had long disappeared with time. I inquired and the piece had been used as a mortar by a, as chance would have it, Tlingit tribesman. The Tlingit art pulled at my curiosity. I considered a cross of artistic cultures. Although fairly late in their existence, at least one member of the Tlingit had a fondness of Marquesan woodcarving. What if inspiration struck and Marquesan elements influenced Tlingit totem poles or Chilkats? What would that look like? Bonehead is based on that thought. Large eyes reminiscent of the circular, Marquesan style and a curved "beak" better suited to a jungle bird than the usual Tlingit crow or eagle motif. The multiple faces reflect the elaborate coastal totem poles. The whale vertebrae form also pays tribute to the Tlingit. Their name translates to "People of the Tides" and the ocean, specifically whales and salmon, provided many resources necessary to their survival.

George Emmons continued to record Tlingit vocabulary and his encyclopedic work on the native people until his death. His work was eventually compiled into a book called "The Tlingit Indians", a great read for those wanting to learn more about the original people of Southeast Alaska.