This is a Northwest Coast Native American style cedar painted bentwood box featuring traditional formline animal motifs in red and black. These cultural vessels are traditionally crafted by Pacific Northwest First Nations artists like the Tlingit, Haida, or Tsimshian.

Key Features

Construction: Made from a single cedar board that is v-groove carved, steam-bent, and joined at the corners.

Design: Decorated using classic formline design elements with characteristic formline ovoids, u-shapes, and split-ears painted in contrasting red and black pigments.

Function: Historically utilized as storage containers for sacred regalia, food, or family treasures

The maker's mark on the bottom of the box belongs to Louis V. Larsen, a 20th-century Pacific Northwest artist.

Mark DetailsThe Logo:

The circular stamp bears the text "LOUIS V. LARSEN" surrounding a stylized, formline-inspired hand symbol.

The Artist: Larsen (born 1924) was known for crafting handmade Northwest Coast-style collectibles and sculptures, often painting and carving native formline animal motifs on cedar wood blanks.

His pieces are frequently traded among collectors of vintage Mid-Century to late-20th-century Native American revival art.