This is part of my series of similar work. The material is Western Red cedar, joined by splines and then carved. I start all of these pieces with a big laminated sheet, without adding any sections or doing any further joinery. After I get to a stage I like, I bleach the wood's pigment away in sections, and usually oil the finished original areas so they age the way I like. This piece also has some ammonia applied, and will change colour significantly over time. I really enjoy chemically altering wood vs staining or painting.