Featured NWC Carving

Hey-a @komokwa, my friend, my buddy, my pal....

I'd love to get your comments on this 11.5" / 29cm carving.

Is it raven? If so, could he be standing on a (stolen) Sun?

Do the lines look 'correct'?

Because it's stained, I can't tell if it's cedar.

It looks like there was once a tag or sticker on the bottom, now removed. There's still residue there, as you can see.

I'll appreciate any and all feedback, esp from my buddy and pal Komo (and @all_fakes if he happens to see it).

Thanks!

 

Oooo I love that rich color, the wood grain and the nice lines on this carving. It's a really pleasing shape!

 

Raven, perched on a branch, stained yellow cedar , glue residue on the bottom speaks to It sitting on a larger square wood base, where the signature would have been.
1990's or later.... , friend !

I've bought and sold my share of those, and always enjoyed the deep carving !

 

I saw (too) many stained cedar carvings when I was in the Vancouver area, but this bold, almost Art Deco outline gives this raven much more character than most stained PNW carvings. The proportions are striking too, and I love the way the eyes sit in the head.
I would have bought it too.

 

like that effect, looks like they reworked the stain a little on the grain areas to make them pop out

 

I think some layers of the wood absorb the stain more easily than others, which creates this effect.

 

Thanks for the info! Always appreciate it.

Thanks AJ-- I love how you've articulated that.

Thanks @mirana and @charlie cheswick for your guys's comments too! I like it as well, especially how the beak is separate from the body. That 'gap' gives it more presence to me.

 

I'd guess lower Vancouver Island or nearby mainland, likely sold in Vancouver or Victoria, 1990s or later; possibly Squamish. Lines are good, and rather squared-off, an individual touch but not restricted to any one carver.
Many similar ones from that area are "flats," one-sided, so it is nice that this is three-dimensional. Could be yellow cedar, but could also be pine. Though not a traditional wood, pine is very commonly used in that area, due to ease of carving, cost and ready availability.

 

but as you insinuate , pine is mostly used for the flat wall plaques...

 

Thanks @all_fakes.

Can I further ask, do carvers today start with commercial store-bought boards, ones from, say, Home Depot?

 

depends on the carver and where he's located......
carvers I dealt with would go to wholesale woodlots.... for red and yellow cedar....& cast off pine boards were easy to find.

 

some carvers would cut their own trees for a totem pole..... but not on the grounds of UBC !!!

 

Makes sense!

 

As Komo says - and carvers who operate at a fairly high level would have sources for red and yellow cedar, including "the grapevine" to find available wood or trees from native-owned property as well as commercial sources.
The carvers who commonly sell in Vancouver and Victoria, Squamish and others, are often operating at a lower level, and they might well get pine boards from Home Depot or the equivalent for their flats and 3-D carvings...basically whatever is cheapest; cast-offs if available, other sources if not.

 

Makes sense @all_fakes. Thank you!