Hand-carved Alder Wood Northwest Coast Raven Bowl burdened man Wichita Art Museum

Wichita Art Museum

If I had to collect only one thing

I found it at a terrific estate sale in Concord

Bisque with graphic black details as well as a faint orange stain on its beak and webbed feet

I feel like it is a protector

Hand-carved Alder Wood Northwest Coast Raven Bowl burdened man Wichita Art MuseumThis hand carved Northwest Coast raven bowl, with detailed carving on its face, body and tail feathers, is made of alder wood and signed with a mark and "8J7." Symbolizing creation, knowledge, the complexity of nature and the subtlety of truth, the raven is a sacred figure in Northwest Coast native cultures. Believed to have shape shifting qualities and called upon in ritual in order to clarify visions, the raven is also believed to carry messages in