Details & Provenance

This piece was carved between July 2001 and May 2002, by Joseph M. Wilson, a Canadian First Nations artist of the Coast Salish tribe at his studio in Duncan, Britisch Columbia on Vancouver Island, Canada.
The carving has been created in a traditional Coast Salish style, deply carved into the prepared and laminated Western red Cedar panel by hand.

The piece measures 120 X 120 centimeters and weighs 35 lbs(pound).
Mr. Wilson has used acrylic paints for the black, red and brown colours and mixed acrylic and metallic pigments for the copper and gold colours.
The title of the piece is "Khowutzun Sun" - the word "Khowutzun" being the native spelling for "Cowichan" which is the name of the band that Mr. Wilson belongs to and also the name of the area - the Cowichan Valley - in which he resides. The meaning of the word is "Land warmed by the sun" and the valley is still inhabited by descendants of the original people who make up one of the largest native bands in British Columbia.

Western Red Cedar is one of the common woods found in this area and has long been used for carving due to the beautiful grain, ease of use and light weight - particularly for items like masks which were used in dances and ceremonies.

For protection, the wood should not be exposed to dramatic changes in humidity and temperature over long periods of time as the constant expansion and contraction will result in cracking and splitting of the wood. A light oil may be applied to the back of the piece to assist in keeping the wood moist. Do not use lacquers or sprays as this may discolour or stain the wood.