Totem Pole Carving Black Argillite ** READ**

i think this could be an Argillite totem pole sculpture. Most i have seen of these have the reproduction markings or museum markings on the back of the statue. There are no such reproduction markings on the back of this statue. The statue is cold to the touch and is quite heavy. there are lines ( grain ?) that run vertically down the back and the lines continue in the same direction on the bottom of the base. i am not an expert on argillite carvings, however, in addition to the coldness and heavy weight, i did do a small test with a carving tool underneath the base and it was easily carvable leaving a lighter greyish color where it was carved. . What makes me think that this could be an original carving is that the base is not perfectly square, , it is not symmetrical and even the totem part is not perfectly aligned as you go up the totem. Measures 10.75 inches high. no damage ; does have the .test scratches underneath . ( see photos) . ***** PRE-OWNED ***