Lot 55
UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST, HAIDA, PROBABLY MASSET, HAIDA GWAII
Totem Pole, c. 1900-1910
argillite, 9.5 x 2.5 x 2 in (24.1 x 6.3 x 5.1 cm)
unsigned.
ESTIMATE: $1,800 — $2,800
PRICE REALIZED: $4,560
Provenance
Private Collection, Montreal.
The first argillite model totem poles, their designs often based on actual wooden poles, were probably carved in the 1860s; by the 1880s totem poles were by far the most numerous works produced by Haida artists. By the late 19th century only two main schools remained: Skidegate and Masset. The full ovoids in this example suggest that this pole was carved at Masset.