Native American, Pacific Northwest Coast, United States or Canada, Haida or Tlingit, ca. early 20th century CE. This is a beautiful hand-carved totem pole made from walrus ivory and hand painted with red and black pigments. The upper is conical, tapering to a pointed tip with a small peg, perhaps for attaching a finial. The lower totem contains two eagles and a human head, a large eagle or thunderbird, a crouching human, perhaps a woman, holding two fish that have human heads on the tails. A great amount of symbolism is contained within this special totem pole! Size: 3" W x 11" H (7.6 cm x 27.9 cm)
Provenance: private Southern California, USA collection, bestowed 2006; ex-J. Malter collection, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired before 2006
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#167833
Condition
One wing is loose and needs to be reattached - it falls off the body with any movement. The base is detachable and should also be permanently secured to the pole to ensure stability. Fading of pigments and nicks to high pointed areas.