Looking at Totem Poles - Softcover

Stewart, Hilary

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0295972599 ISBN 13: 9780295972596

Publisher: University of Washington Press, 1993

Synopsis

Magnificent and haunting, the tall cedar sculptures called totem poles have become a distinctive symbol of the native people of the Northwest Coast. The powerful carvings of the vital and extraordinary beings such as Sea Bear, Thunderbird and Cedar Man are impressive and intriguing.

Looking at Totem Poles is an indispensable guide to 110 poles in easily acessible outdoor locations in coastal British Columbia and Alaska. In clear and lively prose, Hilary Stewart describes the various types of poles, their purpose, and how they were carved and raised. She also identifies and explains frequently depicted figures and objects.

Each pole, shown in a beautifully detailed drawing, is accompanied by a text that points out the crests, figures and objects carved on it. Historical and cultural background are given, legends are recounted and often the carver's comments or anecdotes enrich the pole's story. Photographs put some of the poles into context or show their carving and raising.

This book is a companion volume to Hilary Stewart's enormously successful Looking at Indian Art of the Northwest Coast.

About this title

About the Author

Hilary Stewart is an award-winning author best known for her books on Northwest Coast First Nations cultures. She has also been involved in teaching outdoor education and wilderness survival courses for many years, as well as studying the ethnobotany of the coast First Nations, and has an extensive practical experience in the use of plants. She lives on Quadra Island in British Columbia.

From Library Journal

This newest book on Northwest Coast art by a widely published author in the field ( Cedar: Tree of Life to the Northwest Coast Indians , Univ. of Washington Pr., 1984) is primarily a guide to 110 specific totem poles located in British Columbia and Alaska. It also contains a number of short opening chapters that provide an excellent, concise introduction to the poles for the lay reader; Stewart's thorough understanding of the subject shines most brightly in her discussion of iconography. The guide section offers a detailed drawing of each pole; identification of its location, carver, and style; and a brief explanation of the meaning of the figures on the pole. Highly recommended for public libraries because of its accessibility to general audiences and for academic libraries as a reference source on individual totem poles.
- Dr. Eugene C. Burt, Seattle
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Washington Press
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0295972599
• ISBN 13: 9780295972596
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192