Haida. <em>Totem Pole for the "House which is a Trail,"</em> 19th century. Cedar wood, (a) section: 270 x 39 1/2 x 51 in., 1000 lb. (685.8 x 100.3 x 129.5 cm, 453.6kg). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1911, Purchased with funds given by Robert B. Woodward, 11.704a-b. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 11.704a-b_detail.jpg)

Totem Pole for the "House which is a Trail"

Artist:Haida

Medium: Cedar wood

Geograhical Locations:

Dates:19th century

Dimensions: (a) section: 270 x 39 1/2 x 51 in., 1000 lb. (685.8 x 100.3 x 129.5 cm, 453.6kg) (b) section: 163 × 44 × 29 1/2 in. (414 × 111.8 × 74.9 cm) storage (Crate for (a) section with detached beak made 2009 Surroundart): 51 x 49 x 278 in. (129.5 x 124.5 x 706.1 cm) Storage of 'b' the lower portion. NOT IN CRATE since before 2000: 30 × 42 × 166 in. (76.

Collections:

Accession Number: 11.704a-b

Image: 11.704a-b_detail.jpg,

Catalogue Description:
Cedar wood, unpainted. Rear, hollow concavity. Original pole cut in half. Top half (a): Design - plain, tapering cylinder at top, two main figures and part of a third. Upper figure - raven with two subsidiary motifs (crescent across chest and upper wings, a small head and hands peering over the crescent). Raven beak, separate piece of wood. Lower figure - top half of a humanoid with large head above upturned flukes which are grasped in its hands. Fragment of third figure - upturned flukes (whale-like, cut off at tail). Bottom half (b): Design - upside-down humanoid, large animal (bear?) holding a small creature (frog?) to its mouth. CONDITION: Pole cut in two, evidently before arrival at the Museum.

Brooklyn Museum