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Artworks
UNIDENTIFIED NUU-CHAH-NULTH ARTIST
Model Totem Pole, c. 1915wood and paint, 23 x 4 x 4 in (58.4 x 10.2 x 10.2 cm)
unsigned.LOT 109
ESTIMATE: $1,200 — $1,800Further images
From top to bottom, the figures on this model totem pole appear in a striking sequence: a human, a wolf, an inverted whale, and finally a fourth face that is...From top to bottom, the figures on this model totem pole appear in a striking sequence: a human, a wolf, an inverted whale, and finally a fourth face that is humanlike but not quite a match for the one at the top. Given the central role of whaling in Nuu-chah-nulth culture and the placement of the whale figure directly above, it’s plausible that the bottom face represents not a person, but a whaling captain’s mask. The composition is compact and deliberate, with figures tightly stacked in a rhythmic vertical flow. The colour palette is earthy and restrained: soft ochres, browns, muted red, and a cool blue used sparingly to provide contrast. Black outlines sharpen facial features, lending the figures an expressive animation.First Arts with Christopher W. Smith
Provenance
A Vancouver Collection.
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