Carving was originally done by the Seri people, a nomadic tribe of no more than 500 who live in Mexico and then by town and city dwellers from Sonora and Baja California, who embarked on the trade after the figures became commercially popular. Seri carvings were essentially hand made whereas the mass produced pieces were created with the use of power tools.

The forms are derived from wildlife and are often abstract in style. While it may owe some elements to the use of machine tools, this carving is a fine example of the ‘ironwood’ style with its sleek lines imaginatively representing its subject. The modelling is expressive and well complemented by the patina and finish of the wood. From the above, dating is clearly to the second half of the twentieth century and perhaps more to its later years if this is an example of the ‘commercial’ pieces produced at that time.