Ivan Otterlifter Northwest Coast Tlingit Rattle

Measures 9 7/8" by 3 3/4" by 3 1/4". Ivan Otterlifter (1936 - 1999) was active/lived in Canada. Ivan Otterlifter is known for Wood carving, Indigenous symbolism, and ceremonial objects. Ivan Otterlifter was born in 1936 in the Pacific Northwest and passed away in 1999. He was a First Nations Canadian artist of Cherokee descent, later adopted into the Tlingit clan, and lived and worked in British Columbia. Ivan Otterlifter, also known by his distinctive signature CYOT, was a master wood carver, silversmith, and stone carver. He began working as a full-time artist in 1964, developing a practice that blended Northwest Coast formline traditions with personal symbolism and cultural storytelling. Otterlifter s carvings often in cedar, argillite, and silver include masks, pipes, boxes, and figurative sculptures. His work is recognized for its technical precision, bold design, and spiritual resonance, frequently depicting animals and transformation figures rooted in Indigenous mythology. In addition to his studio practice, Ivan Otterlifter taught art and outdoor survival to schoolchildren, sharing his knowledge of traditional materials and techniques. His legacy continues through the presence of his work in private collections and auction records, including pieces such as Owl Man, Fox Transformation Mask, and carved argillite pipes. Ivan Otterlifter remains an important figure in the history of First Nations art, bridging Cherokee and Tlingit cultural identities through a deeply personal and highly skilled visual language.