Bill Reid 1920-1998     One of Canada's foremost artists Haida artist, Bill Reid, an outstanding gold and silversmith turned sculptor, was proclaimed a National Living Treasure and was instrumental in inspiring a people to reclaim their cultural heritage.  Collected internationally and much-honored, Bill Reid created, among his best known sculptures, The Spirit of Haida Swaii at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. (The Black Canoe, 1991) and at the Vancouver International Airport (The Jade Canoe, 1996).  Building upon the broad range of his expression, Bill Reid translated his original designs of animal crests into limited edition silk screen or woodcut prints and drawings.  This is a reproduction of one of those drawings.

The Raven Steals The Salmon     Tired from being on the island, the hungry Raven flew to the mainland where he heard there were fish in lakes and streams.  He landed on a beach where he met two men whom he knew to be Beavers.  They invited him in their big house and fed him with a rich repast consisting of beautiful spring salmon.  Each time the beavers would go behind the back screen in the house they would reappear with salmon.  The Raven had to find the Beavers' secret.  Taking advantage of the Beavers' absence, he managed to go behind the screen and found himself looking over a vast landscape made of rivers and lakes full of fish.  He tried to steal as many as he could but in vain.  So he rolled up the whole landscape in his beak and landed on Haida Swaii unraveling his precious cargo.  This is why Haida Swaii has so many spawning salmon streams and lakes today.

Embossing is accomplished with a metal plate (die) that is acid-etched in copper or hand-cut in brass, heated and then pressed into the paper with tonnage.  I purchased this art card in the 1990's and it's been tucked away ever since.  The card is in new condition in a clear plastic sleeve, however the envelope has a crease on one end.  The card is creamy with shiny gold foil embossing.

Measurement 9" t x 6" w

Questions???   Please ask before purchasing to avoid any misunderstandings.

You can see more art cards in my eBay "store".