Creator Record
Metadata
Name |
Billiot, Cyril |
Notes |
Cyril Billiot was a wood carving folk artist and member of the Houma Indian Nation. Born in 1911 in Terrebone Parish, in the southeastern part of Louisiana, he grew up in a French speaking household and learned to speak and read English from friends. He began carving wood at the age of 10, mostly rifle stocks and pirogues (a type of local flat-bottomed boat for fishing in shallow water). He would sell these on the side of the road, and to better utilize the time waiting for customers, began carving local animals as well. As his carvings continued to sell, he expanded his repertoire to include historical "figures", such as Abraham Lincoln, Uncle Sam, Adam and Eve, and The Statue of Liberty, as well as exotic animals such as elephants and tigers, with many of his ideas coming from images in books and magazines. He continued carving into his late 80s. Billiot passed away in 2000. |
Nationality |
American Indian |
Occupation |
Wood carver and basket weaver |
