Bear paw, depicting salmon, and a face.
This grey soap stone piece is also done by myself, Chris wabano plawej, I ask you to reference the second bear paw piece This piece depicts a salmon as my father's clan is salmon, and my mother is bear clan and she has guided and helped my path the most and our relation she is the base of this piece, the second depiction is a face in a aggressive form representing pain and anger that comes from parents even though we love them it is only natural to feel anger at points in time, the reason I did not remove the toes for this piece is to represent my other hand that is intact, this piece also is dedicated with the salmon for my deceased father. The piece is greyish soap stone, with where speckles like the ground around a river or sea where the salmon lie, its also curved slightly at the bottom and sides depicting a more accurate depiction of a bear paw. The bottom I signed as well with a old artist name of mine wabster. It is smooth and polished as well.
Height 2.5 CM, Length 2.5 inches, Width 3 inches
Other
Yes
Hello, this item is a small contemporary Indigenous Canadian soapstone carving by Chris Wabano Plawey Patles, also associated with the artist name Wabster, carved in the form of a bear paw and incised with symbolic imagery of a salmon and a face. The submitted description connects the bear paw form to the artist’s mother’s bear clan, while the salmon refers to the father’s clan and serves as a dedication to the artist’s deceased father. The aggressive facial image is described as representing pain and anger within family experience, giving the piece a direct autobiographical and cultural meaning. The grey speckled soapstone, smooth polished surface, slightly curved sides, and compact scale, approximately 2.5 inches by 3 inches, place it within the category of small personal Indigenous sculptural work rather than a large formal gallery carving.
The work has personal, symbolic, and cultural value, especially when considered alongside the related bear paw carving by the same artist. However, the open market value remains modest because the submitted information does not show an established auction record, gallery representation, or wider collector demand for this artist. The strongest comparison is with small contemporary First Nations or Indigenous Canadian soapstone carvings by emerging or self-represented artists, with a modest premium for the signed reverse and detailed personal narrative. Based on the photographs, size, material, authorship, condition, and available context, the fair market value is $120 - $350 USD.
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