Description
This staff is one of the earliest pieces in the Museum’s collection. It features a complex series of interlinked and transforming figures, including a bird (perhaps a thunderbird or eagle), a whale, a double-headed bear, and a human clasping a copper.
A speaker’s staff like this, carved to show a family’s hereditary crests, was used on ceremonial occasions. It was often held by the chief or by a man designated to speak on behalf of the chief. Some staffs are carved to be pulled apart during a feast, signalling a significant stage in the event, such as the distribution of gifts.
Details
- Work Date:
- Before 1870
- Location:
- Northwest Coast
- Medium:
- wood, Paint