100? Year Old Tlingit Tribe 42 foot Totem Pole

[agreeneyes]

This is an older Tlingit Indian Tribe 42 foot totem pole.  It appears to be very old the paint is chipped and faded and there are splits in the wood and the eagle is missing it's beak.  There is a bear, twin figures, a whale with a face on the tail, a chief ,another figure and an eagle w removable wings on top.  I've tried researching what the value of this would be but have been unable to find out very much information.  So once again I've come to the experts.  If anyone can help with information I would like to know how old this dates and as it is an original Native American totem pole what the value would be.  Thank you

[rink28]

By the pictures it looks to be modern made. The paint looks too fresh and if it was old the white paint looks to bright and the colors too. Value wise not sure but if it does have condition issues which takes away value.

[agreeneyes]

When you say modern how old, thank you

[KC]

Whoa....Is this yours? 

[agreeneyes]

Yes

[mart]

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Tlingit+symbolism+on++totems

Here are some to compare it to !! Wood looks correct for age as well as I can see !!

[agreeneyes]

Hi, I appreciate the link.  When you state wood looks correct for age,  are you saying this is older possibly 100 years or so?  I'm trying to find out it's age and value.  It is definitely weathered from the elements and age.  Paint is faded, wood is cracked and the eagle's beak is broken off the whales fin is attached but loose.  I was only able to load 4 pictures.  I can delete these and load others showing the figures close up?  Thank you

[mart]

I mean the wood has aged sufficiently and the surface/paint looks worn enough to be correct for the stated age !! I didn`t see anything that looked new or freshly done !!  Where did you get this thing ??  Kind of hard to find something like that at a garage sale or thrift store !! 

[agreeneyes]

It is from Alaska from a Tlingit family member who decided to sell the totem pole and it was hauled from there by trailer.   He had it raised and standing in front of his house to tell the stories passed down from his elders.   I did find out that I was mistaken about the age as I also received paperwork stating the date it was raised which was in 1970 and explanations in story form of what the totem pole figures represent.  I wasn't sure what the term raised signified until I did some research.  The wood is so weathered from the Alaskan elements as it stood outside for many years so I thought it could be older.  When it was sold and taken down it was just cut off from the bottom.  The 5-6 foot piece of wood at the bottom that goes in the ground so the totem pole stands upright remained in the ground.

[talesofthesevenseas]

HOLY TOLEDO!!! That is awesome! I hope you'll be able to keep it in your family. What a wonderful thing to have.

[agreeneyes]

Thank you

[mart]

So you mean the wood was cut and aged in Alaska well before the totem was created and raised at the family members house ??

[agreeneyes]

No,  I'm not Tlingit we just knew of someone from the Native American Tlingits who was selling their totem pole in Alaska.  This is not a tribe totem pole but a Tlingit families totem pole and their family member was selling it.  This was carved and raised in Alaska in 1970 and has stood in front of the Tlingit families house in Alaska for many years.  They cut it down instead of digging up the bottom that was in the ground.  I hope this clarifies this a little better.  I apologize for the confusion.

[KC]

Still awesome!

So, what are you going to do with it?  Put it in your yard or sell it?

[agreeneyes]

We're going to try and sell it, this is why I wondering if anyone has any idea of value, thank you