Carved wooden sculpture with skull · 80 cm

Carved throughout · 80 cm · arm plugs in · crown broken

Item no. 080-359-000

A carved wooden sculpture in the form of a standing stele, 80 centimetres tall and carved throughout: a skull sits at the top, below it scrollwork winds around a small figure, and a branch-like arm juts out at the side. A shallow bowl closes off the top.

What it is

Not an old cult object and not a totem pole — the whole form is carved, worked out of one grown piece of wood: skull, scrollwork, arm, base. The word «totem» would have claimed an origin this piece does not have. Which workshop or region it comes from is not known.

Not driftwood

This wood weathered on land, not in water: the cracks run along the grain, the annual rings stand open, there are worm channels. Driftwood would look different — rounded off, leached, without sharp edges. If you want the hard, split surface, this is it; if you want smooth beach wood, it is not.

The arm

The arm projecting from the side plugs in and lifts off. That makes transport easier and takes away the worry of snapping it on the way — pull it, carry it, put it back once the piece is standing.

Key facts

• Height 80 cm
• Carved throughout, the entire form
• Weathered log, grey, checking intact
• Carved skull, scrollwork, side arm
• Arm plugs in, removable
• Crown area above the skull broken, parts loose
• Shallow bowl as the top finish
• Stands firm

Condition — with one fault

The crown-like area above the skull is broken. The pieces are there but no longer fixed — they simply rest on top. Anyone wanting them permanent will glue them; on wood this dry, PVA or epoxy holds well. Otherwise the top piece shifts when you lift the totem. Reflected in the price.

The log itself is sound. The weathering is part of the piece: cracks, open fibres and worm channels are intended and not a fault.

Photos

Care for a little more?

CHF 160.– Wood sculpture · female nude on a plinth Item no. 060-271-000 CHF 40.– Wooden tiki mug, dark Item no. 080-244-000 CHF 45.– Wooden tiki mug, base signed «TIKIS» Item no. 080-241-000 CHF 90.– «The Bone Collector» – Flounder / Tiki Farm 2013 Item no. 080-097-000 CHF 95.– Bamboo tiki lantern Item no. 080-290-000