A rare Native American totem pole that was used as a coat stand for several years is to auction in Dorset, UK on February 14, having been discovered in a nearby farm house during a routine inspection.
 The totem pole was brought to the UK as a memento by keen collector and traveller John Allen Hughes in the 1920s. It then passed through the family to the present owners |
The totem in question is carved with the faces of a beaver, a bear and a whale, and is surmounted by an eagle with its wings outstretched. It is believed to be late 19th century, and is likely to have been created by the Haida people of British Columbia, Canada.
A comparable Haida totem pole, also crowned with an eagle and carved with a series of totemic animals, sold in 2008 for $157,000, suggesting collectors are hungry for authentic Native American artefacts. In October 2012, a Native American tobacco pipe sold for $23,500 and a Sioux-beaded and quilled war jacket brought $18,000.
Paul Fraser Collectibles is currently offering this authentic stand of hair from the head of the great Apache leader Geronimo.
Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.
