"Sacred Belongings" Sculpture by Malynn and Mike Wilbur Foster, Squaxin Nation

"Sacred Belongings" Sculpture
by Malynn and Mike Wilbur Foster, Squaxin and Skokomish Nations
steamed cherry wood, hand carved marble mask, abalone inlays, laser etched granite
20" tall x 22" wide x 5" deep

This sculpture was the first collaborative work between husband and wife, Mike and Malynn Wilbur Foster. Mike is an expert stone carver. He started the traditional Coast Salish 3 point mask carving, and then taught Malynn the techniques to finish the piece. Malynn then mounted the mask onto black granite embellished with traditional skokomish weaving designs of salmon gill in mountain formationand skokomish dogs, separated by traditional petroglyph designs. The piece is framed like a traditional bentwood box. 

This sculpture represents the Squaxin and Skokomish's three oldest art forms: basket weaving, petroglyphs, the 3 point mask style. Becuase these art forms are "Sacred Belongings," Malynn felt they should be put into a bentwood box. Traditionally, a bentwood box held the most valued objects of its owner.