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Artworks
UNIDENTIFIED TLINGIT ARTIST
Model Totem Pole, c. 1930s or 1940swood and pigment, 27.25 x 6.5 x 6 in (69.2 x 16.5 x 15.2 cm)
unsigned.LOT 109
ESTIMATE: $1,200 — $1,800
PRICE REALIZED: $976.00Further images
This model pole features, from top: jumping killer whale, seal, bear (?), diving raven, two descending killer whales, human, two smaller human faces, and an anthropomorphic face. This pole is...This model pole features, from top: jumping killer whale, seal, bear (?), diving raven, two descending killer whales, human, two smaller human faces, and an anthropomorphic face. This pole is carved in red cedar, and while some figures conform to known visual styles, such as the killer whales and diving raven, some of the figures on this pole and the painting style are so idiosyncratic that it is difficult to assign it to a particular First Nation or time period. Based on the killer whales and diving raven figure, it is most likely that this pole is Tlingit in origin. Even so, the surface and paint do show some signs of age and the overall composition is visually compelling.
Christopher W. Smith
Provenance
Private Collection, New York, NY.
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