Brooklyn Museum: Arts of the Americas: House Post, from a Set of Four

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House Post, from a Set of Four

This house post comes from a set of four poles placed inside a Heiltsuk house. Contemporary Heiltsuk carvers in the town of Bella Bella are reviving this art form, which began to decline around 1890, by creating house posts to support a new ceremonial house.

Culture: Heiltsuk (Bella Bella), Native American
Medium: Cedar wood
Place Made: Waglisla (Bella Bella), British Columbia, Canada
Dates: 19th century
Dimensions: 105 3/4 x 32 3/4 x 21 in. (268.6 x 83.2 x 53.3 cm)
Collections: Arts of the Americas
Museum Location: This item is not on view
Accession Number: 11.700.4
Credit Line: Museum Expedition 1911, Museum Collection Fund
Image: Overall, 11.700.4_acetate_bw.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

Catalogue Description: The object is a house post made of cedar wood, dark and unpainted. Two figures include a large humanoid figure holding a small humanoid figure. The small figure is held in front of the larger figure's chest area. Each head has carved brows, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. There is also a small humanoid head with carved features between the knees of the larger figure. Frontal figures and head are carved in high relief. Back is roughly carved and relatively flat. House post is fragile. There are cracks throughout. There are exceptional losses of wood on and behind small head at bottom. There are miscellaneous holes, especially on the nose of the larger figure. Missing parts include a portion of the left hand and upper lip of the large figure as well as the left foot of the small figure. The back of larger figure's head is hollowed out. The post is very fibrous along the edge of the bottom. This house post is from a set of four (see 11.700.1-.2-.3).

Collections: Arts of the Americas: House Post, from a Set of Four