Heiltsuk (Bella Bella) Polychromed Wood Speaker's Staff

of classic form, finely carved with a series of totemic creatures, in the form of a whale, with long pectoral fins, surmounted in turn by a sea otter holding a small bird, possibly an owl, a bear, wearing a fierce expression, with a frog perched on its chest, a human face, a killer whale, an eagle and another bear, with a narrow head and small rounded ears at the apex of its head.

Southwest Pennsylvania Family Collection
Eleanor Tulman Hancock, New York, NY
Fred Boschan Collection, Philadephia
Sold Sotheby's New York, May 2006, lot 41
Acquired from the above sale

Good to very good condition; overall wear consistent with age. There is some surface abrasion as evidence in the illustration.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

From a written assessment on this piece by Steve C. Brown: "Speaker’s staffs are seen among many central and northern Northwest Coast First Nations from the Tlingit south to the Kwakwaka' wakw people, among whom the tall, thin sculptural pieces are perhaps the most numerous and flamboyant. Based on a totem pole type vertical format, many such important objects of chiefly heraldry represent the same kinds of family or clan histories and mythological ancestry as their larger totemic cousins. Often carved in the near or full round, as is this elaborate example, speaker’s staffs are made to support the ancestral background of family and clan leaders in the public display of inherited treasures and prerogatives, such as important names and dances, at the times of potlatch and feasting that accompany house or totem pole raisings, marriages, memorial ceremonies, or other traditional gatherings. Northwest Coast leaders usually do not directly address the invitees to such traditional public displays, but rather convey their chiefly status and ceremonial addresses through the office of a chief’s speaker. These positions are filled by persons trained in the knowledge of family or clan histories, cultural emblems, prerogatives such as names and songs that belong to the group, and the distinctive kinds of speech patterns and language that are used to convey cultural information through techniques of oral literature like metaphor and the parable-like stories of history and mythology. Traditional speakers are groomed from an early age to develop an encyclopedic knowledge of such important cultural information and style, and those recognized for their talents are called upon by hereditary leaders during ceremonial occasions to relay such information to the invited guests and witnesses. This particular staff is carved in the style of the Heiltsuk speaking peoples, which include the Bella Bella, Haihais, and the Oowekeno First Nations of the central Northwest Coast. The sculptural forms of the images (particularly the animal faces) are very northern in character, though in the humanoid faces especially one can see the kinds of proportions and the handling of sculptural forms that are seen in the documented Heiltsuk work. The northern style influence suggest that the staff my have originated among the Haihais or northern Bella Bella, perhaps even the Haisla of the Kitimat or Kitlope areas. The sculptural depth of the carving has more in common with central coast art traditions than the more reserved and stylized work of the most northern groups such as the Haida, Tlingit, or Tsimshian. More elaborate than many such staffs, this fine example depicts no less than twelve characters or images that relate to the traditional history of a particular family. The degree of sculptural development and intermingling of the images in this example are highly refined and inspired, the work of a gifted master artist representing a rich and intriguing family history.”