The Royal B.C. Museum has used its largest single donation to buy a coveted Bill Reid carving from early in his remarkable career.

Grizzly Bear Mantlepiece, completed by Reid in 1954, is fashioned from red cedar and is now installed in the museum's First People's Gallery. The carving was purchased with a $750,000 gift to the museum from the Audain Foundation for the Visual Arts.

Museum CEO Pauline Rafferty called the piece "stunning," saying it is a wonderful addition to the First People's Gallery.

"It's a significant piece because it's by Bill Reid and it's significant because it's contemporary," she said.

Adding to its contemporary First Nations art is important for the museum, Rafferty said.

The newly installed carving was commissioned by Anne and Douglas Stevenson of Williams Lake, who were friends of Reid, and was in the possession of various family members over the years.

Most recently, it was on loan to Government House, where it was placed for the 2002 visit by the Queen and Prince Philip.

Rafferty said the museum has some more recent pieces by Reid, but nothing from the period during which Grizzly Bear Mantlepiece was created.

She said one of the most impressive things about Reid to her is the amazing scope of his work. Wood was far from the only material he worked with, she said.

"He also worked in gold, silver — it was a complete range."

Grizzly Bear Masterpiece arrived at the museum in great shape, and just had to be cleaned up a bit, Rafferty said.

"Now the patina of the wood really comes through."

Lt.-Governor Steven Point said he became concerned when the family decided to sell the work.

"A piece from Bill Reid, in my view, is a part of our history, a part of our treasure here in British Columbia," Point said. "The thought of it possibly being sold and leaving the province is something that I couldn't tolerate. It's a real treasure, I think, that should rightfully stay in British Columbia, and be accessible to British Columbians."

Philanthropist Michael Audain became involved when he and his wife, Yoshi, attended Government House for a function in honour of the Emperor of Japan.

Point recalled: "We were doing our normal welcome and whatnot, and I grabbed Michael and said 'Do you know about this piece, Michael?' He said 'No,' and I started telling him the history of it. I said 'You know, I'm very scared it's going to get sold.' And Michael said 'I'm going to do something about that.'

"It's an amazing thing that he's done. [Buying the Reid grizzly] was just a magnificent gift from the foundation to the people of British Columbia."

Audain, 73, chairman of Polygon Homes, said: "We had quite a lengthy negotiation [to buy the piece], but the family was very co-operative. They have agreed to a sale at considerably less than appraised value to the museum."

Audain's foundation has donated $25 million to 55 organizations for visual arts projects. He was not aware that the $750,000 his foundation paid for the Reid work was the largest donation in the museum's history.

"But I think museums everywhere just can't depend on government funding," he said. "They need support from the community, and art lovers such as ourselves. I think we have an obligation to ensure that our public museums are supported and are able to acquire an important work like this."

Reid died in 1998, aged 72, after battling Parkinson's disease for many years.

jwbell@timescolonist.com