Few 20th century Canadian artists have been mythologized, studied, or written about more than Haida artist Bill Reid. 

An extremely important figure in the mid-20th century revitalization of Northwest Coast art and its synchronous re-evaluation as an international fine art form, Reid’s experimentations with scale and materials have influenced the generations of First Nations artists who have followed. Formally trained as a jeweller, Reid’s earliest works are miniature silver and gold pieces, some of which he would later revisit as inspirations for monumental scale installations. In 1965, Reid illustrated the Haida novel Raven’s Cry (1966) by Christie Harris, a significant milestone in his career that brought his artwork to the wider public’s attention. That same year, Reid gifted Harris this fine silver Killer Whale Brooch in recognition of their collaboration. The signed Raven’s Cry book included in this sale, with a personal note and original doodle by Reid for Harris, was her own copy.

Although this silver brooch was given to Harris in 1965, there are indicators that the piece was made earlier, perhaps in the mid-to-late 1950s. There is a very similar brooch in the collection of the Museum of Anthropology at UBC (2923/6) that was made in 1955. Another clue to the possible creation date of this piece is an ovoid eye hallmark that appears on this brooch and two other pieces by Reid in the collection of the MOA (3258/7 a-b and 3258/10), which are dated to 1958 and 1959 or 1960, respectively. In any case, this is an early and important piece by Reid connected to one of the most significant landmarks of his early career.

CWS