Qwa.a gyaa.angaa (model totem pole)

ca. 1885

First Nations, Haida, 1839 - 1920

Edenshaw is known for bringing Haida stories to life through his art, and he often depicted myths of supernatural bears. The bear figures on this pole hold a whale’s tail, clutch an extended tongue and sit atop a stack of hat rings. Sparing no detail although carved for sale, Edenshaw was a master in wood, stone and silver.

Argillite

19 x 3 x 2 3/4 in. (48.26 x 7.62 x 6.99 cm)

Gift of John H. Hauberg

91.1.129

Now on view at the Seattle Art Museum

Resources

Exhibition HistoryCalgary, Alberta, Glenbow Museum, Pipes That Won't Smoke; Coal That Won't Burn, 1981 - 1982.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, The Box of Daylight, Sept. 15, 1983 - Jan. 8, 1984

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Hauberg Collection - Parsons Gallery, Aug. 22, 1985 - Mar. 16, 1986.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, American Art: The Stories We Carry, Oct. 20, 2022 - ongoing.

Published ReferencesThe Spirit Within: Northwest Coast Native Art from the John H. Hauberg Collection, Seattle Art Museum, 1995, pg. 144

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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