Shona-Hah Lelooska Native American Hand Carved Doll 1930-1970 Chilkat Chieftain

Description

Shona-Hah (Grey Dove) born in 1911 as Mary Smith, was a prominent Northwest Native American carver and the matriarch of the Lelooska family. She is mother to noted story teller Chief Don Lelooska, Patty Fawn, Julia Hart Stoll, and Tsungani (the current Lelooska Chief). Her dolls are highly valued by private collectors and museums alike. She is best known for her "Little People" hand carved dolls depicting older native Americans in working life. "I don't like to carve young people," she said in her studio. "They don't have much to say. Older people have a lot of history on them.” Shona's dolls were often a joint artistic effort between her son Chief Don Lelooska and herself. Chief Lelooska would often help Shona Hah carve the heads and hands of her dolls. He was a highly respected artist in his own right whose carvings are also highly regarded among museums and collectors. The intricate costumes that the dolls wear are handmade by Shona-Hah. She made the costumes as traditionally accurate as possible using real shell, bone, cloth, fur and human hair. Shona-Hah's dolls serve as accurate illustrations of vanishing cultures. They bring to life both ceremonial and daily life events in the lives of many Native American cultures. From the Osage of Oklahoma to the Kwakwaka'wakw of British Columbia, she draws on her first hand knowledge of the cultures and memories of the old ones for her inspiration.
My grandparents purchased this doll sometime between 1965-1980. It has been in our family since its original purchase and is in pristine condition. This doll, a “Chilkat Chieftain with Eagle Hat”, depicts a man holding a carved bird. He features the traditional Chilkat painted robe and carved hat, a necklace and earrings made from abalone shell, and a sued and leather costume. He is 17 inches tall by 6 inches wide, the wooden base on which he stands is 13 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches.