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Description

Carved wooden model of a pole with bear, human and frog figures. [CAK 31/03/2010]

Publications History

Referred to on page 9 of 'Haida Art in the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, and the Rev. Charles Harrison', by June Bedford, in European Review of Native American Studies, Vol. XII, no. 2 (1998), pp. 1-10. Referring to this and 1891.49.13, Bedford misleadingly writes: 'There should have been two totem poles but only one remains.' [JC 16 4 1999]

Longer Description

Carved wooden model of a pole with bear, human and frog figures. The pole is affixed to a squared base painted red. The figure at the base of the pole is a bear with front and hind legs positioned in front of its body and painted red with black dashes. The bear's mouth is outlined in red and the area around its eyes is painted blue. The eyebrows are painted black and the ears are outlined with red then black, and filled with blue paint in a split-U design. In the mouth of the bear is a figure labelled as a 'crayfish' but more likely a prawn or sea wolf. Its body is painted red with black dashes. Its head is painted blue with eyes outlined in black. Above the bear is a human figure with legs and arms bent upwards on either side of the body. The body is painted red with black dashes. The feet, hands and face are unpainted, except for the mouth and nostrils outlined in red, the area around the eyes filled with blue, and the eyes and eyebrows painted with black. On either side of the human are black and blue formline designs. Above the human, facing downward is a frog-like figure with red body with black dashes, round eyes painted black and outlined with red, and a narrow face in blue and red. This figure is positioned between the hind and front legs of a bear with an extended red tongue The bear's legs are painted red with black dashes but its paws are unpainted. Its mouth is outlined in red and a row of teeth are clearly visible in the top of the mouth. The nostrils are accented with red, and the area around the eyes is filled with blue paint. The eyes and eyebrows are painted black. The ears are decorated with blue split-U designs and outlined in black and red. A human figure called a 'watchman' is depicted squatting above the bear with its hands wrapped around its shins. The body and face are unpainted except for the mouth and nose accented with red, the area around the eyes painted blue, and the eyes and eyebrows painted black. The watchman is wearing a hat outlined in red and with three blue rings on the top. [CAK 31/03/2010]

Primary Documentation

Accession book entry (for 1891.49.13 and .14): 'From Rev. Ch. Harrison, 80 Halton Rd, Canonbury Sq. N. Collection of Haida objects collected by him.... - [1 of] 2 Models of Totem poles. £45. [Purchase price includes 1891.49.1-110]

No additional information on catalogue index cards. [JC 4 9 1996]

?Pre-PRM label / Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Labels stuck to parts of the pole say 'wolf' 'frog' 'bear' and 'crayfish' (from top to bottom). The piece is pigmented and is in good condition. [JN 11 1 99]

Written on object - 'Model of totem pole. Haida. N. Pacific. C. Harrison Colln. Purchased 1891. (MS. No. 20).' [JN 11 1 99]

Related Documents File - The Haida Project Related Documents File contains video of research sessions and interviews with Haida delegates from September 2009 as part of the project ‘Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge'. It also includes post-visit communications that discuss object provenance. For extensive photographic, video, and textual records documenting the Haida research visit as a whole, including but not limited to preparations of objects for handling, travel logistics, British Museum participation, transcribed notes from research sessions and associated public events held at PRM, see the Haida Project Digital Archive, stored with the Accessions Registers. Original hand-written notes taken during research sessions have been accessioned into the Manuscripts collection, in addition to select other materials. [CAK 02/06/2010]

Research Notes

The following information comes from Haida delegates who worked with the museum's collection in September 2009 as part of the project “Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge”:
This model pole was viewed alongside other wood carvings on Tuesday Sept 15, 2009. Delegates had a variety of ideas about the iconography on this pole. Melinda Pick thought the humanoid figure near the centre of the pole with red body and blue dashing could be a transformation figure. Kwiaahwah Jones thought this figure could be a woman. The frog-like creature above was said to have too narrow a nose to be a typical frog. One suggestion was that the carver used less-defined forms. Another suggestion was that the dashing on the body represented hair and thus this was a deep sea frog. Sandra Greene proposed it was a transformation frog. The figure labelled as a crayfish at the bottom was contradicted by Nika Collison and Gaahlaay (Lonnie Young) because there are not crayfish on Haida Gwaii, and also because it has arms, teeth, long ears and a tail. This made delegates wonder if it was a sea wolf, some kind of fish, or a prawn or shrimp. Nika and Gaahlaay thought that physiologically, the figure appeared to be a prawn which would be very exciting as these are not normally seen on poles. From the side, this figure was even said to resemble a bird. It was noted that what was identified as a 'crayfish' on the painting of the Star House pole [2004.144.1] was actually a sea bird and possibly a grebe. Delegates said the lack of detail made it difficult to identify many of the figures. The blue colour used on the pole was thought to be a trait of the artist. In particular, it was commented that the blue eyes must have been a representation of something and that the extent of the blue used must also have a meaning or purpose.
Christian White observed that the long tongue is a trait found on poles in Massett, while Jaalen Edenshaw further linked the use of a single watchman figure with styles commonly found in Massett.
The execution of the carving was thought to be lacking and that it was a poor representation of a pole. See also the comparisons made with 1891.49.13. [CAK 31/03/2010]
The translation of 'totem pole' used here is from Robin Wright's book "Northern Haida Master Carvers", published in 2001 by the University of Washington Press in Seattle. See, especially, chapter 1. [CAK 11/03/2010]