(Model) Totem-Post

Item number E56427-0 from the National Museum of Natural History.

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Notes

FROM CARD: "DESCRIPTION AND LEGEND ON REVERSE. COLLECTOR'S DESCRIPTION: "CARVED COLUMN LIKE......ERECTED IN FRONT OF CHIEF RESIDENCES QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS, B.C. LEGEND. THE LOWER FIGURE IS THE GRIZZLY BEAR HOORTS. ON HIS HEAD IS THE CODFISH (MYTHOLOGICAL) KAHATTA INDICATED BY THE TEETH AND SCALES. THE UPPER FIGURE IS THE BEAVER TSING. HIS HEAD IS SURMOUNTED BY THE HAT WORN BY CHIEF TO INDICATE THEIR RANK. IT IS COMPOSED OF BASKET WORK AND THE NUMBER OF THESE INDICATES THE DEGREE OF RANK ATTAINED BY THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE IN FRONT OF WHICH THE COLUMN IS SET UP. IT IS HEARALDIC AND INDICATES THE TOTEM OR FAMILY CONNECTIONS. JAMES G. SWAN, PORT TOWNSEND, W. T. JULY 6TH, 1882." IDENTIFIED AS MODEL OF CARVED COLUMN IN FRONT OF CHIEF'S HOUSE SKIDEGATE IN LEDGER BOOK AND SWAN'S LIST IN ACCESSION RECORD. - F. PICKERING 6-25-1999