Totem pole model
Artist
Unknown
CultureKwakwaka’wakw | Native American
DateLate 19th or early 20th century
MediumPine wood, paint, and inlaid abalone
DimensionsOverall: 42 in. (106.7 cm)
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number71.3584
Not on view
DescriptionTotem pole model with a standing bear carved in the round, standing on top of a solid rectangular base with fish carved in relief. Embellished with inlaid abalone eyes and painted formline designs in red and black. Label TextKwakwaka’wakw British Columbia Model for a Totem Pole, late 19th or early 20th century Pine wood, paint, and inlaid abalone. Model totem poles like this one began to be carved in the mid-1860s, a time when full-sized totem poles were no longer being created due to the decimation of Native populations and the disruption of local traditions. Although primarily made for sale to non-Natives, models carved from wood or argillite (black shale) enabled Pacific Northwest Coast artists to keep traditions alive and to pass on their knowledge and skills to the next generations. Notice how relief carving is combined with painting and inlaid materials. What animals can you see? Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.3584Exhibition HistoryAdded by the Chrysler Museum of Art to the museum's local presentation of traveling exhibition "Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, March 3-July 2, 2023.
