Tsimshian Raven and Salmon Woman Totem by David Boxley

Tsimshian Raven and Salmon Woman Totem by David A. Boxley and David R. Boxley.

David A. Boxley and David Robert Boxley are renowned father and son artists from the Tsimshian community of Metlakatla, Alaska. The eldest Boxley, David A., is often credited alongside fellow Tsimshian artist Jack Hudson with reviving customary Tsimshian art in his home community of Metlakatla.

While David A. trained his son to create Tsimshian art by having him work on monumental commissions from a young age, those pieces are largely public owned and are not available for private ownership. This house post-sized totem pole is a rare opportunity for a collector to own a collaborative work at a manageable scale by both the Boxleys.

This massive red cedar pole was created by David A. and David R. in 2002 and is titled “Raven + Salmon Woman.” The main figure features Raven, clad in black and red formline, perching on top of the head of Salmon Woman. She wears a labret in her lower lip to identify her as a woman of high status. Raven’s eyebrows are depicted as incised formline Salmon, the children of Salmon Woman. Raven’s wings are rendered in black and red formline, with crosshatched human faces in profile inside the large ovoids on each wing.

Both David A. and David R. are regarded as masters of formline, the 2-dimensional forms that define the visual language of northern Northwest Coast Indigenous art. As on other monumental scale totems, the back of this pole has been hollowed out.

Today, both of the Boxleys remain deeply involved in the cultural revival of the Tsimshian people. Together with other Tsimshian from Metlakatla and Washington State, they founded and perform with their award-winning dance group, Git Hoan (People of the Salmon).

David A. has raised more than 80 monumental totem poles over the last 40 years and continues to create artwork in all scales for sale and cultural usage. He was also recently featured in a retrospective at the Steinbrueck Gallery, in Seattle, titled “David A. Boxley: 40 Years: A Celebration of Four Decades of Work” and in a joint exhibit with Chris Hopkins at the Schack Art Center in Everett, Washington, titled “Story Tellers: Two Friends, Two Cultures.” David has also co-written a memoir of his life and work titled “Tsimshian Eagle: A Culture Bearer’s Journey,” published by Chin Music Press in 2023.

In the time since carving this pole with his father in 2002, David R. has gained a reputation for being among the most advanced Northwest Coast formline artists working today. Having completed an apprenticeship under renowned Haida master artist Robert Davidson, David R.’s work pushes boundaries and experiments with forms while still remaining true to the best historic Tsimshian design work.

In recent years, David R. has moved back to Metlakatla, Alaska, where he continues the work to revive Tsimshian culture and language. While much of his current artwork remains within his community, he is a frequent collaborator with 8th Generation, the Indigenously owned Seattle-based artware company.

In 2015, David A. and David R. were commissioned to create the monumental House Front for the Clan House inside the Walter Soboleff Building for Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) in Juneau, Alaska. The centerpiece of the SHI’s main offices, the massive formline renditions of Wolf, Eagle, Raven, and Kiler Whale represent the four clans of the Tsimshian Nation. This installation is widely regarded as one of the modern masterpieces of Northern Northwest Coast art. 15"D x 29"W x 6'2"H

This is a large or fragile item, so shipping will not calculate on our website. Please contact the Gallery at (208) 769-7575; info@ciscosgallery.com to get a shipping quote, or to purchase.