Tsimshian totem pole by Casper Mather. (1876 - 1972). Casper Mather was in the original group of Tsimshian who followed lay minister William Duncan from Old Metlakatla, BC, to Anette Island, Alaska, where they founded the village of New Metlakatla, in 1887. One of the only Tsimshian carvers making objects during this period in Alaska, Mather’s art is widely collected and seen as an important connective tissue between carvers in the 19th century and makers today. In his lifetime, Mather was a well-known and beloved fixture in and around Ketchikan and Metlakatla. Today, he is fondly remembered for his openness to visitors in his workshop and his charisma and humor when selling his carvings around town. This pole is carved in red cedar and is painted in Mather’s signature red, green, yellow, and black palette. The pole features an Eagle with spread wings over a Human figure wearing a robe. Like most of Mather’s model poles, it is mounted on a round cut of alder for a base. This pole appears to be an earlier work by Mather and has an incredibly deep and warm patina and some crazing on the yellow of the Eagle’s beak and legs, which creates an interesting and attractive surface texture. 12"H, Wings 9"W

PERIOD: Early 20th Century

ORIGIN: Northwest Coast - Alaskan, Native American

SIZE: 12"H, wings 9"W