HENRY HUNT SR. (1923-1985), KWAKWA̱KA̱ʼWAKW
Perched Thunderbird, 1979
wood, 33.5 x 8.25 x 8 in (85.1 x 21 x 20.3 cm)
signed and dated, "Henry / Hunt / 1979".

As a young man Henry Hunt was a logger, which saw him develop a deep familiarity with wood. He enjoyed a lucrative professional career but his unmatched mastery of the D-Adze tool ensured that demands for the ceremonial objects used in traditional potlatches and other ceremonies were directed to Hunt [1]. In the 1974 ArtsCanada article on the artist, the author wrote, "A prolific carver, Hunt is at ease carving wood in any size. [...] Among the present day [Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw] carvers, he is without equal" [2].

1. "Stones, Bones and Skin: Ritual and Shamanic Art", ArtsCanada, Vol. 30, Nos. 5 & 6, Issue Nos.184-7, December 1973 / January 1974, (Toronto : Society for Art Publications, 1977), p. 1842. Ibid.