Featured Northwest Wood Orca Carving

Hello! I just acquired this Northwest wood orca carving and was hoping to identify the artist, as well as possible date, value, etc. I'm thinking it is vintage because of the dryness of the wood and the overall feel, but I don't know. The name on the back looks like "Connie" or possibly "Bonnie" and "Peters"? I don't know where to start to identify the carved signature initials, so a very kind person who saw my original post on a FB group advised me to ask here. (Thank you, Barbara!)

Any help is very appreciated! Thank you!

Front by Michelle Bryant posted Aug 13, 2018 at 8:27 PM

Back by Michelle Bryant posted Aug 13, 2018 at 8:27 PM

Back Detail by Michelle Bryant posted Aug 13, 2018 at 8:27 PM

@komokwa

 

Welcome Michelle! On Facebook I am Barbara but here I am just a jackass! I am very hopeful you will find assistance here. This is a very good group with an entirely different demeanor from our mutual Facebook group. Everyone is generally more active throughout the day though so it may be a little quiet until tomorrow. Glad you found it okay and excellent job with the pictures!

 

Thanks, Barbara! Excellent avatar pic!

 

the carving is from one of a number of journeymen ( women) carvers supplying the tourist trade .
It was made sometime in the last 20 years.
It's likely pine.
& from the size I'd expect a $ 35 to 50 retail on it.

 

Thank you very much! Yes, pine. It's very light.

 

Welcome Michelle. Now that you've been lured here, you might as well stay.

Never to us!

 

Welcome to Antiquers Michelle!

 

Oh, I think I will.

 

Thank you!

 

Welcome, and I agree with Komo's opinion on this.

 

Thank you, Steve. Good to know.

 

From my Bill Holm eye circa 1975 I say fake! Took Bill Holm's course in NW Indian art at UW. He was rather famous in the NW as a documenter of Indian art. Still have his book. Those tribes had a complicated system of style and form. IMHO would never had such a flat and even back. Form is rather crude.

https://www.amazon.com/Northwest-Coast-Indian-Art-Washington/dp/0295951028

 

I have it as well. It also helped my own artistic development, even though I am not NA and don't make NW Coast art. But we can learn from other concepts of development of shape without applying the exact same shapes, of course. It is just something that starts a process.

The journeymen/women carvers Komo mentioned, produce a lot of wall decorations with flat backs. I've seen them coming into shops in Vancouver with a bag full of the 'stuff'. Not the best examples of NW crafts (not art imho), but a way to make a living.

 

You are welcome to your opinion on this matter....
I never took Holm's course....
But , I did sit and talk to this guy.........

 

Now that is a Bill I would have loved to have sat and talked to. I am probably his biggest fan in Europe.

 

Bill Holm sadly was pretty frail last time I talked to him. But still hanging in there.