House Post, from a Set of Four

Artist:Heiltsuk (Bella Bella)

Medium: Cedar wood

Geograhical Locations:

• Waglisla (Bella Bella), British Columbia, Canada

Dates:19th century

Dimensions: 98 x 35 1/4 x 17 1/2in. (248.9 x 89.5 x 44.5cm)

Collections:

• Arts of the Americas

Exhibitions:

• Objects of Myth and Memory
• Life, Death, and Transformation in the Americas
• Climate in Crisis: Environmental Change in the Indigenous Americas

Accession Number: 11.700.1

Image: 11.700.1_left_+bw.jpg,

Catalogue Description:
House post made of cedar wood, dark and unpainted. Two figures: supernatural bird, probably a thunderbird, holds a small humanoid figure to its chest area in front of a shield called a "copper". The Supernatural bird has a beak as well as humanoid ears and mouth. The frontal figures are carefully carved in high relief. The back is roughly carved and relatively flat. Condition: The best of the set of four. (see 11.700.2-.3-.4) There are several cracks that include many large vertical cracks, abrasions, losses, scratches, and surface wear. In some areas the wood is weak due to rot and insect damage. There are iron hooks on the back, top and bottom, evidently from a former mount.

Brooklyn Museum