A Tale of Two Cities
Facing the harbor in Victoria are the BC Parliamentary buildings. Designed in neo-baroque architectural design, the legislature began operations in the late 1800s. This city has undergone rapid changes through the 20th and 21st centuries. Its aura of legislative power still stands the test of a century and a quarter of history, even with the renovations going on at the moment.
One relatively novel addition (1990) is the knowledge totem that stands on the edge of the property. Totems have been traditionally carved by indigenous people (Haida, Tlingit, Tsimshian, Kwakwaka'wakw, and Coast Salish) who use local wood such as cedar and spruce.
Totems are usually made for special occasions and depict ancestral spirits, cultural beliefs, legends, and family or clan histories with a series of stacked figures such as animals, mythical creatures, humans, and other representations. A plaque at the foot of the tome explains the cultural significance of this particular totem.
Images by @litguru
That is an impressive building.
and the totem is also very nice. I wonder how long it took to make?
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! help(no space) to get help on Hive. InfoThe indigenous craftsmen are very skilled, but I don't know what goes into making a totem. Some of the totems are very large and some are tiny, like the ones sold in souvenir stores. I imagine it used to take much longer before the craftsmen began using more modern tools. Thank you for visiting!
The totem pictures are wonderful!
It was a bit overcast, so the pics came out darker than I like, but the totems are very impressive. :)
Unique architectural design! The frontal view reminds me a little of Highclere Castle😅. I love the fountain too. The totem pictures are amazing!
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That's a crazy castle and built in 1679, over two centuries earlier than the legislature building, but they do share a similar design, as you noticed. It's crazy because a century later, we're no longer building in that style. Too bad because I get the feeling that we could build some nice looking condos in that style 😄
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Thank you!
Wonderful!
So whimsical and... just wonderful! :D
Thank you @ykdesign! This is a special city in Canada's west coast. :)