Salish Beaver Totem by Danny James

Coast Salish beaver model totem pole by Danny James. Danny James was a Coast Salish artist who often carved model poles for the Ye Olde Curiosity Shop (YOCS) in Seattle, Washington. His work was characterized by deep, clean cuts and was generally more conservative than work by the Williams family, who also worked for YOCS. This pole depicts a Beaver with stacked rings above its head. The pole is inscribed on the verso, “Indian Arts by Danny James” with an additional notation on the bottom of the base that reads “AP/HAIDA BEAVER,” which appears to have been written in marker. The note about the pole being Haida is likely a reflection of the general public’s familiarity with that Nation’s artwork. 10"H base 3" x 3"