Description

This appears to be a vintage painted wood souvenir/tourist totem pole, likely from the Pacific Northwest. It’s a nice example — brightly hand-painted with multiple figures stacked vertically, and a distinctive thunderbird/eagle with outstretched wings near the top. The style suggests it’s probably from the 1960s–1980s. These were mass-produced as tourist souvenirs at shops throughout Alaska, Washington, and Oregon.

Key value factors:

∙   Tourist souvenir vs. Native-carved — this is almost certainly a tourist piece, not carved by an Indigenous artist. That’s the single biggest value factor. Authenticated pieces by known Native carvers can fetch hundreds to thousands; tourist pieces are more modest.

∙   Condition — the colors are vivid and it appears to be in good shape