Model Totem Pole

Native American, Kwakwaka'wakw, Dzawada'enuxw, Kingcome Inlet, 1884 - 1945

A master carver of ceremonial arts, nearly all of Hemasilaka’s life was shadowed by the potlatch ban (1884- 1951). He pushed the traditional origins of his art style toward distinctively modern refinements, evidenced in the bold sculptural forms and exuberant painting of his full-size poles—even his model poles powerfully convey the personalities of each mythic figure. Shaughnessy carved the four houseposts in this gallery.

Wood and pigment

36 3/4 x 10 1/4 x 5 3/4 in. (93.3 x 26.0 x 14.6 cm)

Gift of June Bedford in honour of Steve Brown

2000.51

Now on view at the Seattle Art Museum

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Avian Avatars: Birds in Northwest Coast Prints from the Colwell Collection, Dec. 15, 2021 - June 12, 2022.

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

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