Hand Pendant
Availability: Only 1 available
by Norman Tait
Sterling silver, Engraved
2 x 1.5"
Price available on request
- Description
- Additional Information
- Artist Bio
Sterling silver, Engraved
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Supernatural Log Bracelet
Marcel Russ
Price upon requestSterling silver, Engraved
Domed, TaperedThe Supernatural Log is more commonly referred to as Snag or Ts’Amos (Alternate spellings: Ttaamuus, Tsamaos). He is the personification of the seafaring Haidas’ obstacles while on the ocean in canoes; driftwood or deadheads. The Snag is an amorphous supernatural creature both in artwork and in legend and first appeared as a crest figure of families along the Skeena River. It is believed to have first appeared on jewelry designs by the famed Charles Edenshaw, whose father took the Snag as a crest.
A Snag can vary in appearance, much like the driftwood it imitates, but it almost always has a snag (deadhead) for a dorsal fin. It can be as simple as a dead log with a tail that can swim against the current. It can be a huge sea lion with dorsal fins and blowholes, or an enormous grizzly bear with a downturned mouth like a dogfish. It can be a hybrid of bear and Killerwhale, or raven and Killerwhale, with multiple bodies. It can be a large frog covered in seaweed with a snag sticking out of its back, and can even be a canoe or a schooner. Most visible at the change of tides, the Snag, if angered can breach and land on canoes, smashing them to bits. He also can make huge waves to capsize boats. The Snag was frequently featured as a protective figure on Bentwood Boxes that contained treasured artifacts, and is frequently depicted with Raven, its counterpart.
The Snag is a very important feature in the Haida legend of How the World Was Formed. Before there was the world as we know it, Raven was flying and flying and flying, and finally came to rest on a single rock, which was the tip of Haida Gwaii and the beginning of the world. This rock, was supported beneath (from the undersea world) by a stone house pole, which was in fact the fin of the Snag. It is therefore common to see the Raven and Snag in conjunction in Haida art. The Snag figure can be seen as an acceptance of responsibility for supporting the world, similar to the Atlas figure in Greek mythology.
It is believed the legends around the Snag was a warning for those who travelled by canoe to be more wary of their surroundings, especially at the change of the tides, and keep them alert on the water. When the tides change, deadheads and hidden logs or obstacles can suddenly appear and be a danger. As the Haida relied on trade with Mainland Nations to survive, it was pertinent for them to be adept at sea, paddling the vast distances to and from the islands to the coast.
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Hawk Moon Pendant
Vernon Joseph White
$1,600.00 CADArgillite, Abalone Shell, Sterling Silver, Mastodon ivory
The Hawk takes its place in the supernatural spiritual world, inspiring unique designs for masks, rattles and jewelry. For the Haida Nation, it was used to represent the Thunderbird. Often associated with the Sun, the Hawk can be distinguished by its curled beak which curves to meet the tip of the lower jaw.
When the Raven brought light to the world, some versions of the legend say that it was the Hawk who made the Raven drop the box so it opened, releasing the Sun, Moon and Stars into the Universe.
For more details on shipping Ivory outside of Canada, please click here and then click open the Shipping section and scroll down to read more on Shipping Restrictions.
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“Getting Things Right” Cockleshell Rattle Amulet with Hat Stand
Gwaai Edenshaw
Price upon request22K Yellow Gold, Platinum, Abalone shell, Cast, Engraved
Includes Skil Hat Stand; Yew wood, Brass
Edition 1 of 3
20085.25″ x 2.75″ x 2.75″ (including stand)
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Shadow of the Raven
Norman Tait
$450.00 CADSerigraph, Edition of 600
1986
Unframed
(For inquiries on custom framing, please contact the gallery)
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Sun Hawk Mask
Norman Tait
Price upon requestNorman Tait with Lucinda Turner
Alder wood, Copper, Cedar rope, Horse hair, Operculum shells, Acrylic paint, Leather
Norman Tait’s exceptional Sun Hawk Mask stems from his father’s clan, the Tlingit Nation ancestry, and primarily represents one of his father’s family crest figures. While this exquisite mask depicts elements of a human face, the additional features, such as the beak, allude to its supernatural connection. Constructed from Alder wood, the wood’s unique grain is a strong element within the design and is used to exemplify the mask’s delicate human-like structure. Furthermore, the addition of acrylic paint and the stark horsehair locks add life to this Humanized Supernatural-being.
Featured in Finding A Voice: The Art of Norman Tait
10.5 x 9 x 7″ (excluding hair)
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Beaver Swimming
Norman Tait
$1,100.00 CADSerigraph, Edition of 95
Unframed
(For inquiries on custom framing, please contact the gallery)
The Beaver appears in Northwest mythology and is a family crest in many regions throughout the Northwest Coast. According to legend, the first Beaver was a woman, whose husband frequently went on long hunting and fishing trips. In his absence, his lonely wife took solace swimming, enlarging her pond with a dam and building her own water dwelling. Eventually, she transformed into a Beaver and their children were Beaver People, founding the Beaver lineage.
In mythology, they are often associated with the powerful undersea supernatural beings and the magic Giant Beaver can cause natural disaster with one slap of its wide, strong tail. Characterisically, the Beaver is known to keep to himself and cares little for the activities of the humans, except when they are directly affected. Thus, they often give wise advice so it is important to listen when they do decide to speak.