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Vintage Northwest Coast Salish Indian Hand-Carved & Painted Wood Animal Letter Opener, British Columbia, Signed: Willis Peters 88
This beautiful and functional hand-carved and -painted letter opener was made by the prominent First Nations artist Willis Peters in 1988, hand-signed in pen on the reverse, and lightly varnished to protect the wood. Willis Peters and other indigenous coastal artists started creating small, functional items to share their culture and art with a broader audience and tourists visiting the region during the brilliant revival of Northwest Coast that started in the late 1960\'s and continues to this day. The animal depicted on this carving may be a river otter,sea lion,seal,or some other aquatic mammal.
According to AI, Willis Peters belongs to the Sts\'ailes (Chehalis) Band of the Coast Salish peoples in the Harrison River area of British Columbia. He was most prolific from 1970-1990s for his Northwest Coast art and later mentored other indigenous artists as they began to revitalize traditions which had been suppressed by historical Canadian anti-potlatch laws until the 1950s.
This beautiful carving is made of Alaskan yellow cedar, also known as Nootka cypress, which grow along the Northwest coastal regions of North America. The wood from these trees is a rich pale gold and is favored by the Northwest Coast Indigenous peoples to create objects including masks, boxes, and many other functional items.
Dimensions: 7-3/8\" long, 1-5/8\" wide, 5/16\" thick
Condition: Excellent. Piece has very minor overall wear (see photos)
