Nuu-chah-nulth Totem Pole

While the scale of this carving, at nearly 80 inches tall, may push the limits of the definition of a “model,” the proportions of its figures and it being made for the curio market confirm its identity as a very large model pole. The pole was carved in old-growth red cedar by a Nuu-chah-nulth artist on the west coast of Vancouver Island, sometime in the fourth quarter of the 19th century to perhaps the first decade of the 20th century. It features, from the top: a Raptor (Eagle or Osprey), a transverse Seal, an ascending Whale, and an anthropomorphic figure on the bottom, perhaps a Bear. The Raptor sits in a “wing-drying” position, with its wings partially opened. The pole is painted in old pigment-based paints in red, green, yellow, black, and white. The Raptor’s form and stance are reminiscent of, and perhaps anticipate, the Roman Eagle figures that would become a favoured motif of early and mid-20th century Nuu-chah-nulth model pole makers. The Seal is carved in a very clean, straightforward manner, with no formline or design elements, save for the round eye and a slit for a mouth. The ascending Whale is depicted with a human face for a blowhole, round eyes, and two large split u-forms coming off of the head to create the pectoral fins. The flukes are shown flipped over the back of the whale, a common image on model poles from this period. Under the whale is a blank shaft, with two holes that made have held pegged features or appendages, and beneath that, the anthropomorphic Bear-like figure, clutching its knees. The head of the bottom figure is large with a prominent brow and flared nostrils and is nearly equal in size to the rest of body. The figure’s mouth is also carved out, probably indicating that it once held abalone inlays. The blank shaft and massive features of the bottom figure on this pole reflect the influence of Northern Northwest Coast First Nations, such as the Haida, on Nuu-chah-nulth model pole makers during this era of the ethnographic curio market. A very large and fine example of Nuu-chah-nulth artistry. 79 1/4"H

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