On a quick trip to Vancouver last week I had occasion to wait at the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal and noticed there this beautiful totem pole. It is a work of famed Kwakwaka'wakw artist, Chief Henry Hunt. It was carved to mark the centennial of the Province of British Columbia in 1966 and depicts a grizzly bear (top) and a whale. Henry Hunt was born in 1923 and worked with Mungo Martin and the BC Provincial Museum in replicating many decaying totem poles as well as on his own superb creations such as this prize-winning pole. In 1983 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts by the University of Victoria. He died in 1985.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Kwakwaka'wakw Bear Pole
On a quick trip to Vancouver last week I had occasion to wait at the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal and noticed there this beautiful totem pole. It is a work of famed Kwakwaka'wakw artist, Chief Henry Hunt. It was carved to mark the centennial of the Province of British Columbia in 1966 and depicts a grizzly bear (top) and a whale. Henry Hunt was born in 1923 and worked with Mungo Martin and the BC Provincial Museum in replicating many decaying totem poles as well as on his own superb creations such as this prize-winning pole. In 1983 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts by the University of Victoria. He died in 1985.
3 comments:
Greetings!
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That is a beautiful totem pole. Very unique too, and 2 of my fave NW animals.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know how far back the tradition of totems goes. I know that outdoors their lifespan is only a two or three hundred years max, resulting in only so many historic ones to still exist.
ReplyDeleteThis one is really great!
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