Speaker's Staff Item Number: A1762 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Dark brown polished wooden staff. The carved figures are: a bird with a large beak across the top, a human figure below the beak and in front of the bird's body; then another human figure, tall and wearing a ringed hat, with an upsidedown bird head projecting upward from his front, near the centre; the bottom section is plain and round.
Narrative
According to the 1934 Raley collection catalogue, this staff (or talking stick) was collected in Kitkatla. Marius Barbeau described it as: "Speakers' staff by a Kitkatlah carver - Tsimshian" on a photo in the CMH Archives. However others have commented more recently that the style is very similar to a Bella Bella carving style. Perhaps it was made by a Bella Bella carver for an owner in Kitkatla? Most likely collected sometime during the period Raley was based in northern BC, in Kitamat and Port Simpson (1893-1914).
Item History
- Made in British Columbia, Canada before 1934
- Collected in Kitkatla, British Columbia, Canada between 1893 and 1934
- Owned by George Henry Raley before November 1948
- Received from H. R. MacMillan (Funding source) and George Henry Raley (Seller) during November 1948
What
Who
- Culture
- Tsimshian: Gitxaala
- Previous Owner
- George Henry Raley
- Received from
- H. R. MacMillan (Funding source) and George Henry Raley (Seller)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- British Columbia, Canada
- Collected in
- Kitkatla, British Columbia, Canada
When
- Creation Date
- before 1934
- Collection Date
- between 1893 and 1934
- Ownership Date
- before November 1948
- Acquisition Date
- during November 1948
Other
- Condition
- good
- Accession Number
- 1960/0174