Northwest TOTEM

Matched pair of Salish Native American totem poles. Both identical. Carved as a thunderbird with spread rings separately carved and attached perched on the head of a human over a sea...

This large pole was “donated to a church on the northern tip of Vancouver Island for a fundraiser” sometime around 1905. The pole is carved in a folk-art style that is correct for the period. The imagery on this pole is quite fascinating and includes a large bird whose wings form the face of a composite creature holding what appears to be a whale or fish. Below that is what appears to be a Sisiutl, or three-headed sea serpent. Under the Sisiutl is a pair of animal heads flanking the pole, perhaps wolves, over a colonial bald eagle. This pole is a large and early Nuu-chah-nulth totem carving...

Makah TOTEM by Young Doctor (1851-1934). Neah Bay, Washington. This monumental pole is a significant piece of Northwest Coast art and Seattle history that was previously owned by Joseph Edward “Daddy” Standley, the founder of the iconic Ye Olde Curiosity Shop in Seattle, Washington. The pole was displayed for years on the grounds of Standley’s “TOTEM Place” estate in West Seattle, across the bay from his iconic ethnographic art and curio shop on the Seattle Waterfront. So popular amongst tourists was the TOTEM Place estate grounds, that the Southwest Seattle Historical Society has stated that “for decades... it was a place where tour buses stopped, and flashbulbs popped. It probably was the most gawked-at, talked-about residence in West Seattle.” This pole was even featured in situ at Standley’s West Seattle home on a postcard that was sold to visitors through Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. While there are multitudes of model poles and other artifacts available to collectors that were sold as souvenirs from Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, objects that were actually owned by Standley are virtually unknown in the art market. The vast majority of objects that Standley esteemed and considered his private collection have remained with his family and descendants and are on permanent display in the store. Among the objects owned by Standley to make their way into the Smithsonian was a Spirit Canoe sculpture by Makah master carver Young Doctor (1851-1934), the likely carver of this pole. It would appear that Standley and Young Doctor had a good working relationship as a number of pieces, including this TOTEM, an elaborate transformation mask, the aforementioned Spirit Canoe model at NMAI, and a full model set of a Makah whaling crew and canoe were made for Standley by the artist. This large-scale TOTEM pole is an exceptional example of turn-of-the-20th-century Northwest Coast carving...

Tsonoqua/Dzunukwa, “The Wild Woman of the Woods,” is an important ancestor figure to the Kwakwaka’wakw people of British Columbia. A giantess that fills important cultural roles during the potlatch, she is best known as a wealth-bringing being to those who encounter her and as a creature that parents tell their children stories about to make them behave and not venture far from the village – as she is also a cannibal and has been known to snatch stray children from the woods. She is the female counterpart of the male Bak’was, the Kwakwaka’wakw “Wild Man of the Woods.” Tsonoqua is analogous to the Coast Salish Sasq’ets, better known as Sasquatch, the Nuxalk Sniniq (female) and Buks (male), the Tsimshian Ba’oosh, the Haida Gagiit, the Athabaskan Hairy Man (or Woman), and the Tlingit Tl’anaxéedáakw. She is also what a lot of folks would call Bigfoot. This pole is carved in a Coast Salish style but shows several Kwakwaka’wakw influences, so is perhaps better termed a female Sasq’ets pole. This pole shares a lot of stylistic elements with work by the Coast Salish Horne family and was perhaps carved by one of them. The features of the face that identify this pole as a Wild Woman are the tightly squinted eyes, the prominent cheekbones, and the pursed red lips that depict her making her telltale whistling call. Large breasts are created by “split-u” formline elements on her chest, motifs which are repeated (unpainted) on her arms and legs. Her hands and appropriately large feet are rendered naturalistically, and she is depicted in a kneeling position. A very fine example of Northwest Coast carving. Period: Last quarter 20th century Origin: Salish Size: 49"H x 17'W. Family Owned & Operated Cisco’s Gallery deals in the rare, exceptional, and one-of-a-kind pieces that define the history of America and the Old West. Our pieces range from American Indian to Cowboy Western and include original items of everyday life, commerce, art, and warfare that tamed America’s frontier. Our 14,000 square foot gallery opened in 1996 in beautiful Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Personal Service Cisco’s operates on old fashioned values – honesty and integrity, and all of our items are backed by our money back guarantee. We appreciate the opportunity to earn your business. Whether you desire assistance with a jewelry purchase, choosing a gift, identification, or even selling – we hope to be your trusted source.  Native American, Carving, Totem, Pole, Painted, Cedar, Salish Indian

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