Totem Pole
50" Gitxsan
Model Totem Pole
STATUS : Available
This model totem pole is titled “Family House, Lineage from my Grandma.” It tells the story of family, responsibility, and the connections between generations through Gitxsan crests and teachings.
At the top are three Watchmen representing the Gitxsan, Tsimshian, and Haida Nations. Below them is a lightning strike that represents people from heaven. The male Killer Whale carries a human figure prepared to ride on the whale’s fin, while the white face below represents the Grizzly Bear Dancer. The white face symbolizes supernatural strength, showing the human form on one side and the bear on the other.
Further down is the Thunderbird with a young Thunderbird at its feet, representing reincarnation and the passing of life from one generation to the next. Below that is the female Killer Whale, representing my mother’s side of the family. The Grizzly Sea Bear follows, holding a frog and two salmon. One salmon represents Steelhead and the other Spring Salmon, while the blue throughout the pole represents the sea.
The base continues the story with six carved rectangles representing six generations of my Gitxsan family. A bear claw carved into the side completes the family connection.
The pole is hand carved from yellow cedar using hand tools and traditional techniques. It is mounted to its base with two wooden pegs instead of metal fasteners. The cedar itself was estimated to be about 373 years old by counting the growth rings, making the wood another important part of the story carried within the carving.
Artist
Rupert Jeffrey
NATION
Gitxsan Nation
CATEGORY
Totem Pole
MATERIALS
Yellow cedar; traditional paint; wooden pegs
DIMENSIONS
Height: 50 in (127 cm); Width: 2.5 in; Depth: 3.5 in; Base: 9.5 × 7 in
STATUS
Available
CRAFTED FOR YOU
Commission a Carving
House of Carving welcomes custom inquiries from collectors, families, organizations, galleries, cultural projects, and public spaces.