Bidding for this lot will end on Wednesday, March 26th. The auction will begin at 10:30AM PDT and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on Thursday, March 27th or Friday, March 28th.
A screen-matched totem pole model miniature from Pee-wee's Playhouse. Pee-Wee Herman's (Paul Reubens) totem pole resided on the lawn outside the titular playhouse, visible during the opening credits. Hand-painted markings on this miniature screen-match to shots from opening sequence of Seasons 1 through 3 of the series, while a different version of the totem pole appeared in the updated opening for Season 4 and 5.
Following the success of Paul Reubens' Pee-Wee Herman stage show and first theatrical venture, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, CBS approved a Saturday morning children's television series starring Reubens as Herman. Reubens produced the series and co-directed many episodes. Reubens assembled an all-star team of up and coming actors, artists, puppeteers, animators, and musicians to define the groundbreaking series. Pee-Wee's Playhouse went on to win 15 Emmy Awards throughout its run.
The piece is sculpted in clay and features many colorful characters on both sides of the pole, including animal heads, a bird, a horned blue bovine skull, a humanoid head with strange ears, and a turtle shell. The totem pole features a bowl-shaped bottom mounted to an unpainted wooden base. It exhibits some wear from age, including paint chipping. It has undergone some sympathetic restoration to reattach broken components, but the turtle shell is missing its bottom feet. Dimensions: 5.5" x 5.5" x 17" (14 cm x 14 cm x 43 cm)
Estimate: $4,000 - 8,000