This finely carved model argillite pole by Claude Davidson demonstrates exceptional control and clarity of line. From top to bottom — eagle clutching a salmon, raven with copper (?), and beaver — each figure is rendered with precision, their forms cleanly articulated within the vertical format.

Claude Davidson, grandson of the esteemed Haida artist Charles Edenshaw and son of Robert Davidson Sr., served as Chief of the village of Dadens on Langara Island, Haida Gwaii. Originally working as a fisherman, he turned to the “family business” of argillite carving in the mid-1950s and played a pivotal role in passing on the tradition to his sons, Robert and Reg Davidson — two of the most prominent Haida artists working today. Hailing from such a prestigious artist family, Claude Davidson is an important figure in the continuity of historic and contemporary Haida argillite carving.