Additional Images

Provenance:

Private Collection, Vancouver, BC

Note:

A classic Haida bracelet, the present work is designed and executed by master carver and goldsmith Robert Charles Davidson.

Elaborate adornment was commonplace among nobles on the Northern Northwest Coast at the time of the earliest contact with Europeans, however it was not until the 19th century that bracelets were made in silver, and later gold by Haida artists. The great Charles Edenshaw (Daax’igang) is often cited as the first Haida carver to work in these materials.[1]

The most well known and perhaps most highly regarded modern artists working in gold have been Bill Reid and Robert Davidson—both notably descendants of Edenshaw.

The present 22 karat gold bracelet depicts a humanoid figure who is connected by their tongue to an abstract animal—likely an orca. In the Haida tradition, the tongue is perceived as a vessel for the transfer of spiritual power or knowledge. The overall design exhibits a fluidity of form, and sense of balance within the narrow confines of the bracelet, a great achievement of artistic agility on the part of Robertson, who has boldly recorded the designs with confident precision.

Despite significant demand, Davidson is known for his relatively small production in gold, which primarily encompasses objects made for private, cultural, and gallery commissions. Waddington’s is pleased to offer two works in gold by Davidson in our Spring Major Auction, the present lot, and lot 112.

[1] Dictionary of Canadian Biography, “Charles Edenshaw”, last modified 13 April 2026, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/edenshaw_charles_14E.html