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Artworks
UNIDENTIFIED TLINGIT ARTIST
Sitka Tlingit Pole, c. 1930scedar wood and acrylic, 24.25 x 2.75 x 3 in (61.6 x 7 x 7.6 cm)
unsigned.LOT 128
ESTIMATE: $3,500 — $5,000
PRICE REALIZED: $3,172.00Further images
This large and intricate pole reflects the craftsmanship and high standards of Tlingit model pole makers in the 1930s. There is an unusual amount of openwork for the time period...This large and intricate pole reflects the craftsmanship and high standards of Tlingit model pole makers in the 1930s. There is an unusual amount of openwork for the time period that can really be appreciated in the profile view of the sculpture. This pole is likely the work of a Sitka Tlingit artist based on its large, toothy muzzles, prominent arching brows that define the upper portions of the figure’s heads, and skinny, black-painted arms and legs. The figures are highly stylized, but appear to depict, from top: bear, human bending a stick, seal head, bear or sea lion with tongue protruding, human, and what appears to be the head of a wolf. The pole is painted in vivid old blue-green, black, and reddish pigments.
Christopher W. Smith
Provenance
A Vancouver Collection.