This exquisite Bear Mother Box is hand-carved from argillite by Haida artist Gryn White. The removable lid showcases a mother bear with a cub on her back. Two additional cubs are carved on opposite sides of the box, while human figures adorn the remaining sides. The box is supported by four intricately carved frog figures.

The Bear Mother story is a legend shared by many people on the Northwest Coast, most notably the Haida, Nisga’a, Gitxsan, and Coast Tsimshian. It tells the story of a woman who disrespected the bears when she was out berry picking, who was subsequently kidnapped and forced to marry the son of a bear chief. She gives birth to twin bear cubs who inherit a mix of human and bear features. The story emphasizes the importance of honouring and respecting animals, and deals with the subject of transformation and travel between the human and non-human world. -- The Bill Reid Centre, Simon Fraser University

Find more information about and examples of  Northwest Coast First Nations symbol.

The box and lid together measures approximately 7 inches or 18 centimeters long, 3 inces or 7 1/2 centimeters wide, and 6 inches or 15 1/4 centimeters high.