Eagle Sculpture

About this object

Narrative

Noted as belonging to Mr. Cranmer and clansmen. A pair of these bird sculptures were purchased in 1947 (Barbeau called them thunderbirds), however the other bird was said to have been stolen shortly after it arrived at UBC, along with the wings of this bird. This piece was repainted and repaired (including replacement of the wings) by Ellen Neel (1949) and by Mungo Martin (1950-51). The sculpture was loaned out in 1976 for use as part of the display for The Habitat Forum, at Jericho Beach in Vancouver. The Habitat Forum was a parallel conference to a 1976 United Nations forum, in Vancouver, on human settlements.

Physical description

Large wooden, carved statue painted in the form of an eagle with outstretched wings, mounted on top of a plain wooden pole. The bird has a large protruding yellow beak. Its eyes are black and white surrounded by a green ovoid. The chest is white with a repeating rows of black u-forms depicting feathers. The wings are white with black, green and red u and split u-forms. In the top outer corners of the wings is an eagle head painted in profile. Tail projects at the back.