This jaunty First Nations Raven carving is loaded with details including eight abalone shell (“Mother-of-Pearl”) inlays. This piece measures 11 X 5 and is priced at $425. Enough cannot be said about the precision of the carved and painted details of this piece.

The artist is a member of the Kwakwakaw’wakw (Kwakiulth) First Nations, originating from Alert Bay in their ancestral land. He is clearly a master of this art, a man who loves the traditions and history of his people. He is known especially for carving in miniature, which calls certainly for a steady hand. 

Mischievous and curious, the Raven plays many important roles in Pacific Northwest Coast Culture. For some, he symbolizes creation, transformation, knowledge, prestige as well as the complexity of nature and the subtlety of truth. He also symbolizes the unknown and shows that every person sees the world in a different way. The Raven was often called upon to clarify truths in visions, as the wise elders knew that what the eye sees is not always the truth. Many people of the Pacific Northwest Coast refer to him as a helper to the creator, and it is believed by some that messages from the creator of the cosmos are buried in the wings of the Raven only to be released to the families most deserving of his knowledge. The Raven is a long-distance healer and is known as the “keeper of secrets,” he helps us in our lives by exposing the truth of keeping secrets that could potentially harm us, in doing so he helps us back to good health. The Raven was only ever feared if misused.
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