Amos Wallace is often cited as being one of the most important Tlingit artists of the 20th century for his efforts to preserve Tlingit art and culture. Although he and his brother Lincoln (see Lot 3) are perhaps best known for their silver and gold jewelry, both Wallace brothers were prolific makers of wood carvings and model totem poles early in their careers. In fact, Amos and Lincoln made model totem poles for the Western Novelty Co. in Portland, OR, in the 1940s and 1950s, and it’s possible that this pole would have been made there. The shared paint palette and identically cut bases between this and the Lincoln pole make this shared origin very likely. While castings of Amos Wallace’s carvings by Griffin’s of Alaska are widely available today, a signed, wood example of his work is very rare. This model pole features a Thunderbird over a Bear and is  a classic example of Wallace’s mid-century totem pole style. Carved in yellow cedar and painted in blue/green, red, and black, there is something very charming and deeply nostalgic about this model pole. Clearly signed on the verso “Amos L. Wallace” with the notation “Thunderbird.” Amos’ archive is housed at the Sealaska Heritage Institute in Juneau, Alaska.

CWS