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Artworks
UNIDENTIFIED COAST SALISH or NUU-CHAH-NULTH ARTIST
Model Totem Pole, c. 1920s-1930swood and pigments, 29.75 x 5 x 5 in (75.6 x 12.7 x 12.7 cm)
unsigned.LOT 116
ESTIMATE: $3,000 — $5,000Further images
This larger model pole is carved in high relief and features, from top: an Eagle, Frog, inverted Whale, a Wolf-like creature, and an unidentified creature with a long snout at...This larger model pole is carved in high relief and features, from top: an Eagle, Frog, inverted Whale, a Wolf-like creature, and an unidentified creature with a long snout at the base. This pole is well carved and painted with a solid dark green base coat, with yellow and red highlights. One of the difficulties in determining whether this pole is Coast Salish or Nuu-chah-nulth lies in the shared traits it exhibits from both cultures. For instance, all of the figures are carved in high relief off a flat backing, and the Eagle being positioned like a finial at the top of the pole is a carving convention shared by earlier Coast Salish and Nuu-chah-nulth makers. Even with this uncertainty (which is really just an opportunity for further research), the pole maintains an imposing and visually arresting presence.
Christopher W. Smith
Provenance
Private Collection, NY
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