Carved and Painted Native American Tobacconist Figure

Description:

Carved and Painted Native American Tobacconist Figure, probably Chelsea or East Boston, Massachusetts, c. 1870, the life-size figure with his head held high and one foot in front of the other, striding confidently, wears a feathered headdress and tunic with belted skirt, on a wheeled base, old darked repaint over earlier blue and red, (cracks, splits, and repairs),ht. 80 in.

Provenance: From the collection of a Massachusetts non-profit institution. According to tradition, this figure was first used as a tobacconist figure at the tobacco shop of Mr. Abraham Taylor of Chelsea, and was later acquired by Mr. Mark Merritt of Chelsea, who also ran a tobacco shop. It was given by Mr. Merritt's daughter to the consignor in 1917, and remained in the collection of the institution.

Note: East Boston and Chelsea were centers for 19th century ship-building. This figure, dubbed "Lo" by the consignors, does not look exactly like the tobacconist figures being produced in 19th century shops in New York, Philadelphia, the Midwest, or even elsewhere in Boston. His specific facial features, upward gaze, tip-toed stance, forward-leaning pose, and puffed-out chest reminds one more of the prideful figures often found under the bowsprits of 19th century ships. All of this evidence leads to a long-held belief that Lo was carved by an artist more used to carving elements, for the ships being built nearby. There was even belief that perhaps Lo began life as a figurehead. Study done by experts in the field of ship and store carvings agree that the figure could very well have been executed by a ship's carver. However, elements of its construction and shape, and the lack of any evidence that it was fastened along its back to a stem of any vessel, led them to believe that it was always intended as a storefront figure for a tobacconist.
Estimate $10,000-20,000

darkened paint layer over earlier brighter colors. Evidence of patching, repairs, and stabilization; losses to paint and gesso; some seam separation.


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