This sculpture is quintessentially Haida: it depicts an ancient Haida story, it has been hand-carved from argillite rock, and it was created by a famous argillite carver. Measuring 14 inches by 6 inches by 14 inches, this piece has been created by Haida First Nations artist Lawrence Knowles.

Please note that this is a heavy and very fragile piece. Every effort will be made to ship it safely but the seller will not be held liable for breakage during shipping. All sales final, no refunds issued.

 It depicts the Gunarah or Nanatsimgit story:

"It has been said there was a man, Gunarah, in a seaside village who was the best at hunting and fishing.  All the fathers wanted him to marry their daughters; but he went off to sea and returned with a wife who was the prettiest girl the villagers had ever seen. Over the years Gunarah cautioned his wife many times not to go near the waters edge.  However, after some years she decided to wash a sea otter pelt in the water. As she was washing the otter pelt a Killerwhale Chief suddenly rose from under the sea. He lifted her onto his dorsal fin and carried her away under the water, to live for the rest of her life. Gunarah was distraught, crying and calling from the seashore for many days and nights. On one of these days a Killerwhale passed by and heard his cries. The whale came closer and told Gunarah that he would help him find his wife. Together, they searched the bottom of the sea and finally found a gigantic copper house. They waited until all was quiet, before entering and rescuing Gunarah’s wife. And the good Killerwhale carried them both safely to shore on his dorsal fin."  

The Haida Nation is renowned for its beautiful "black slate" or argillite carvings. The Haida began carving argillite in response to the early curio trade of the 1820's, amongst British explorers and traders. Soon the artistic accomplishments of the Haida in the use of materials such as wood, horn and stone included this new medium. While argillite used to be known as a form of tourist art, it has grown to become one of the most sought after art forms in North American First Nations art. The argillite used by Haida carvers is a dark grey carbonaceous shale found at Slatechuck Creek on Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), British Columbia. Argillite is a relatively soft stone to carve, although it is difficult to obtain large pieces from the quarries. It is also a very fragile stone. The supply of argillite is not in any apparent danger of being exhausted, and only the Haida people can carve it by British Columbian law. Apart from small totem poles, the primary objects carved from argillite include plates with incised designs, pendants, pipes, small boxes and sculptural figures. Some carvers give their work a high polish with emery cloth or other materials which enhance the dark, rich qualities of the stone. Even today, argillite continues to be carved exclusively by Haida artists both on Haida Gwaii (their homeland) and in the Vancouver and Victoria areas.