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Artworks
UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST, NUU-CHAH-NULTH or SALISH
Totemic Composition with Serpents, c. 1920s or 1930scarved and painted wood 11 x 2.75 x 1.75 in (27.9 x 7 x 4.4 cm)
unsigned;
carved in a stacked arrangement with a human face atop two Haietlik (lightning serpents), with an eye shape on the base.LOT 25
ESTIMATE: $500 — $800Further images
This unusual pole dates to the 1920s or 1930s and features a humanoid head, a pair of crossed serpents, and a relief carved ovoid eye. While serpents are commonly found...This unusual pole dates to the 1920s or 1930s and features a humanoid head, a pair of crossed serpents, and a relief carved ovoid eye. While serpents are commonly found on Coast Salish objects and the high relief style of carving would support that attribution, the shape of the serpents’ heads resemble how Haietlik (lightning serpents) are depicted on Nuu-chah-nulth objects. Contributing to the difficulty in having firm attributions for some objects was the increased number of curio shops on the Northwest Coast in the first half of the 20th century, which brought together large numbers of artists from different communities and resulted in some blending of styles in the objects made for sale.
— Christopher W. SmithProvenance
Private Collection, Calgary.
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