Model Totem Pole Item Number: 3552/2 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Model totem pole depicting a bear, a figure holding a copper, and a thunderbird on top; nailed to a square base with a rounded top. The thunderbird has separately carved and attached wings spread out at its sides. The bear is in an upright seated position; front paws are resting on top of the human figure, whose body is covered by the copper. Pole is painted dark brown-red with black, red, dark green, and dark blue-grey highlights throughout. Formline design elements painted on the copper and across the bear and thunderbird. Inscriptions carved along back of pole and on base.
Collected sometime in the 1920s or 1930s by the donors' grandfather, William Mathews, during his steamship travels on the BC coast.
Represents grizzly bear, nan, holding copper, with thunderbird, kwankwanxwaliga.