How does The Raven and the First Men elucidate its Creation?
While living in Montreal, Reid began the sculpture with a miniature carving made of boxwood. The piece was inspired by the works of Haida artist Charles Edenshaw. The piece was entitled The Raven Discovering Mankind in a Clamshell, and was carved in 1970. Businessman Walter Koerner noticed the miniature and commissioned Reid to create a larger version for the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. Reid travelled from Montreal to Vancouver in 1972 to start the commission. Another scale version of the sculpture made in onyx exists and both carvings are held in the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art. A miniature cast in gold was later auctioned off in 2005 for over $100,000.Work proved difficult, as a singular block of red cedar log was difficult to find without imperfection. 2.1 meter blocks were difficult to find because of the presence of rot and defects. A donation by Rayonier Canada of multiple yellow cedar beams which were laminated together with the assistance of Koppers International became the final medium for the sculpture.
Carving began in the fall of 1978, the initial roughing of the shape was done with the assistance of Gidansda Guujaaw and George A. Norris. The men within the clamshell were carved by George Rammell and the final tool finishing being done by Reg Davidson and Jim Hart.
Charles Edenshaw Koppers International Vancouver yellow cedar George A. Norris George Rammell Museum of Anthropology boxwood Jim Hart University of British Columbia Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art Raven onyx Reg Davidson Walter Koerner Gidansda Guujaaw Haida Koppers Rayonier Canada Bill Reid