Mowachaht/Nuu-chah-nulth Model Totem by Jimmy John

Large Mowachaht/Nuu-chah-nulth Model Pole by Jimmy John (1876-1988). This exceptional model pole is the work of Mowachaht master carver Jimmy John, an artist who lived for over 100 years and carved for most of the 20th century. This elaborate nine figure pole features a thunderbird (missing wings) on a pair of heads over a human, who is in turn on three heads, over a bear holding a human. The carving on this piece is superb and the silver-painted eyes make the pole a singular masterpiece. Sometime around the 1930s, John pioneered a style of sculpture best described as “chip carving.” This pole represents an intermediate style of Jimmy John’s carving that captures the roundness of his earlier pieces with the interesting surface and texture of his later chip carvings – a fascinating piece or art. 28"