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CARVED RAVEN HEAD TOTEM – EXECUTED IN THE STYLE OF
THE NORTHWEST COAST OR ALASKAN TRIBAL GROUPS – LARGE
IMPRESSIVE PIECE: This is a striking hand
carved sculpture of a Raven Head, executed in the style
of the Northwest or Alaskan Coastal Native Peoples.
Measuring 40” long, 12” high, and 6” thick, this piece
was hand carved from a single piece of native cedar or
fir wood. While there is no way for me to determine
when this piece was carved, the figure exhibits some
evidence of age, and it appears to have been subjected
at some time in the past to a short period of exposure
to the elements, but not so long as to cause excessive
deterioration, splitting or weathering. Overall the
wood is solid with no apparent rot.
There is evidence along the bottom surface which include
two shallow mortises and at least one bolt hole which
indicates this piece was mounted on a larger
structure. These carved pieces have been referred to as
“door post totems” which as I understand it, were
affixed to the entries of the native coastal plank
houses to identify the family affiliation of the
inhabitants.
The paint is overall intact, but does not appear to have
been repainted or enhanced.
For what its worth, another indicator of age is the
light weight character of the wood. If this were made
from modern cut timber or lumber, given the dimensions,
I would expect it to be considerably heavier than it
is. In spite of its size, I can easily pick it up and
carry it through the house with one hand. The wood has
obviously desiccated with age just as you would expect
old wood to be.
At the butt end of the carving, a piece of plywood, cut
to the cross-section profile of the carving, was nailed
to the raw end. The projections at the bottom of the
plywood act as outriggers to stabilize the carving so
that it would stand upright when displayed in a modern
collection. Obviously, the plywood is not original to
the carved head, but rather it is a later addition to
support the piece while on display. From the looks of
it, the plywood was added long ago, and while crudely
done, it performs the function of keeping the carving
from tipping over. A much more stylish means of
supporting the head could be easily fashioned without
much of an investment of time or imagination, and the
plywood shouldn’t be a problem to remove. I’ve left it
in place because it does provide support and protection
for the carving while in transit, so I’ll leave removing
the plywood for the eventual owner.
This is a very attractive and dramatic piece which will
be one of the centerpieces of a collection of Native
Art.
SOLD
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