Guardian figure staff

Lower Chehalis or Quinault, Native American

Not on view

A Northwest Coast master sculptor created this staff finial featuring a meditative standing figure. The work, intended for a ritual specialist, was an integral part of shamanic transformation and healing ceremonies. The figure’s strong brow and sagittal crest may denote a specific group’s identity among the Coastal or Inland Chehalis peoples. Its adornment with two dewclaws from a deer may have infused it with power.

Guardian figure staff, Conifer wood, deer hooves, pigment, and vegetal fiber, Lower Chehalis or Quinault, Native American

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Guardian figure staff, Conifer wood, deer hooves, pigment, and vegetal fiber, Lower Chehalis or Quinault, Native American
Guardian figure staff, Conifer wood, deer hooves, pigment, and vegetal fiber, Lower Chehalis or Quinault, Native American

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