Six mortuary poles
The amazing carvings are still visible on six of the best preserved of the mortuary poles at S'Gaang Gwaii, a UNESCO Heritage Site. Natural weathering and eventual disintegration are accepted to be a natural part of the life cycle of the poles. Note the almost intact burial cavity at the top of the pole at the bottom middle of the collage. The cavities would have held bentwood burial boxes containing the remains of a chief or high ranking person. Many of the boxes ended up in museums and private collections and since the early 1990s the Haida have been working hard to repatriate the remains.
22/08/2021 www.allenfotowild.com
Six mortuary poles
The amazing carvings are still visible on six of the best preserved of the mortuary poles at S'Gaang Gwaii, a UNESCO Heritage Site. Natural weathering and eventual disintegration are accepted to be a natural part of the life cycle of the poles. Note the almost intact burial cavity at the top of the pole at the bottom middle of the collage. The cavities would have held bentwood burial boxes containing the remains of a chief or high ranking person. Many of the boxes ended up in museums and private collections and since the early 1990s the Haida have been working hard to repatriate the remains.
22/08/2021 www.allenfotowild.com