This small model pole is made up of two main figures, very elegantly posed. The raven on top features a stack of three status rings atop its head, its long, folded wings embroidered with well-composed formline elements. A frog’s head appears between the wings on top of the lower figure’s head. This figure is a bird of unknown species. It’s unlikely to be an eagle, though the shape of the head and beak might suggest that. Raven and Eagle are opposite moieties in Haida culture and would not appear on the same object. The breast of this bird is covered with spots made with small cuts in the stone. This could be intended to represent a flicker, the small bird with black spots on its breast and tail feathers that are orange and black with pointed tips, frequently seen on headdresses with carved frontlets. The wings on this pole echo the formline embroidery of the raven above, and a swish of tail feathers appears behind the wing. The back of the pole is flat, typical of post-1900 examples. The base includes an unusual scallop cut on each corner, a treatment seldom seen if not unique in this tradition.

Steven C. Brown