The two Indian carvings are artistic interpretation of a warrior holding a spear and shield bearing the name “War Eagle” The other carving is an Indian presenting a peace pipe bearing the name “Lonesome Dove.”

The American Indian or Native American is a classic subject of Western art in various mediums.  Art, in any form, is always an interpretation of history, myth and imagination. The two carvings in the subject of this posting are an interpretation of the myth of the American Indian as being on the one hand a warrior holding a spear and shield and on the other a peaceful leader who is presenting a peace pipe. Each is a depiction of imaginative images in an artful form.

Lonesome Dove is presented in the next series of photos.

War Eagle is presented in the next series of photos.

Each carving is based upon a previously carved image in a smaller size bordering on miniature carved thirty years ago.  The two photo below show these earlier carvings.  The first is of four-inch tall figures on a three-quarter inch base that contains the warrior Indian.  The second photo is of miniature figures carved on a quarter inch base and being an inch and quarter tall that contains the peace pipe Indian.

The next series of photos are of the progressive stages in the carving of War Eagle and concluding with Lonesome Dove.  Notice that an added strip of basswood was added to compensate for the length of the peace pipe at the beginning stage of Lonesome Dove.  Each is carved using a six-inch-tall by and inch and half square block of basswood using only knives to carve the basic form and then the detail finish of each carving.

The Seal of the United States is an Eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and arrows in the other talon.  The eagle’s head is turned towards the olive branch to symbolize peaceful intention. The arrows are indicative that war is always a possibility as in the tension between “War and Peace.”