Hay-Lee-Cla (Shaman) Soul Catcher
Availability: Out of stock
by Lyle Wilson
Boxwood
2.5 x 8.75 x 2″ (soul catcher only)
7.5 x 8.75 x 2.75″ (including stand)
In the olden days the practice of the shamanism was widespread amongst the Pacific Northwest native peoples — including the HAISLA. The HAY-LEE-CLA (shaman) was considered to be a powerful individual capable of doing both AIX (good) and YAX (bad). Their regalia and accompanying “tools of their trade” were some of the most unique and mysterious artifacts produced. Since they believed that their power would either be lost or weakened when their secrets were known, all HAY-LEE-CLA closely guarded the knowledge of their profession. So the only person who could really tell what was depicted on their tools and regalia was the HAY-LEE-CLA who owned the items.
So very little is known and recorded about shamanism — except that there was an extremely strong belief that their powers were real and not to be trifled with.
Asking HAISLA elders about soul-catchers, all they could only come up with HAISLAKALA words like HAY-LEE-CLA, HILIGA (soul), and DUDXSIWIHC PIPU (shaman’s tools). The specific word for “soul-catcher” has now been forgotten, because such an item has not been used — or seen — in the HAISLA community for generations. Some HAISLA elders believe that any carving featuring a O-shaped mouth is a sign of magic and such items were generally avoided by ordinary HAISLA people.
The majority of old soul-catchers are made of a femur bone — it was believed the SAX (grizzly bear) femur was best because it was a powerful, fearsome animal and even after it was killed, it’s bones retained residual power. Many of these mysterious old soul-catchers are some of the finest, elaborate and jewel-like carvings from the Pacific Northwest Coast.
Soul-catchers were hung around the neck so they were both highly visible and easily reachable. The bone itself was hollow, once the HILIGA was captured and put inside, both ends would be plugged with red-cedar bark until the HILIGA could be ritually dealt with.
My three soul-catchers [in this exhibition] are carved from boxwood. The fact that very little is known about what exactly shamanic images mean gave NUGWA great artistic and creative leeway — NUGWA took full advantage of this leeway. So although there is no specific “story” behind these three soul-catchers, they all attempt to follow the fantastic imagery portrayed on historical soul-catchers: mysterious, wild and free from an anthropological/historical explanations; inspired by an artistic and sculptural point-of-view.
Lyle Wilson 2024
SOLD
Out of stock
- Description
- Additional Information
- Artist Bio
Boxwood
2.5 x 8.75 x 2″ (soul catcher only)
7.5 x 8.75 x 2.75″ (including stand)
In the olden days, the practice of the shamanism was widespread amongst the Pacific Northwest native peoples — including the HAISLA. The HAY-LEE-CLA (shaman) was considered to be a powerful individual capable of doing both AIX (good) and YAX (bad). Their regalia and accompanying “tools of their trade” were some of the most unique and mysterious artifacts produced. Since they believed that their power would either be lost or weakened when their secrets were known, all HAY-LEE-CLA closely guarded the knowledge of their profession. So the only person who could really tell what was depicted on their tools and regalia was the HAY-LEE-CLA who owned the items.
So very little is known and recorded about shamanism — except that there was an extremely strong belief that their powers were real and not to be trifled with.
Asking HAISLA elders about soul-catchers, all they could only come up with HAISLAKALA words like HAY-LEE-CLA, HILIGA (soul), and DUDXSIWIHC PIPU (shaman’s tools). The specific word for “soul-catcher” has now been forgotten, because such an item has not been used — or seen — in the HAISLA community for generations. Some HAISLA elders believe that any carving featuring a O-shaped mouth is a sign of magic and such items were generally avoided by ordinary HAISLA people.
The majority of old soul-catchers are made of a femur bone — it was believed the SAX (grizzly bear) femur was best because it was a powerful, fearsome animal and even after it was killed, it’s bones retained residual power. Many of these mysterious old soul-catchers are some of the finest, elaborate and jewel-like carvings from the Pacific Northwest Coast.
Soul-catchers were hung around the neck so they were both highly visible and easily reachable. The bone itself was hollow, once the HILIGA was captured and put inside, both ends would be plugged with red-cedar bark until the HILIGA could be ritually dealt with.
My three soul-catchers [in this exhibition] are carved from boxwood. The fact that very little is known about what exactly shamanic images mean gave NUGWA great artistic and creative leeway — NUGWA took full advantage of this leeway. So although there is no specific “story” behind these three soul-catchers, they all attempt to follow the fantastic imagery portrayed on historical soul-catchers: mysterious, wild and free from an anthropological/historical explanations; inspired by an artistic and sculptural point-of-view.
Lyle Wilson 2024
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Where Air Meets Water: The Eagle and Killerwhale Panel
Corrine Hunt
Price upon requestBone ash, graphite and aluminum composite
Limited edition of 9
Please ask us about custom orders
In this panel design Corrine Hunt has propelled her use of the medium in such a way that she invites a ‘contemporary’ perception of form. The panel is made from a composite of bone ash, graphite, and aluminum; the organic black colour coming from the ash. The panel itself has been cut from a technically controlled machine, and then has been hand-finished and polished to a luminous sheen.
Corrine’s concept for the panel is based upon the physical depiction of air meeting water; a drop of water which creates a swirl as the air affects its surface. The whorl-shape created by this abstract notion has produced the forms of an Eagle, on the upper left side of the panel, and an Orca; it’s body elusively curving around the right side of the panel. Corrine has continued to play with the whirlpool concept by introducing echoing shapes and forms that reflect across the surface of the panel and invite the viewer to explore the “water’s” surface.
In First Nations art and culture, the Eagle is seen as the symbol of status, power, peace, and friendship, whilst the Killerwhale is revered for its powerful hunting ability and is considered to be the sea manifestation of the Wolf. Both in legend and in the wild, the Killerwhale guards its family for a lifetime. Again, the artist is working around the model of “Air meeting Water”, both visually and in her choice of crest figures.
The artist’s intention in her design is to mesmerize the viewer; she combines traditional formlines of the Northwest Coast with the interpretive concepts of post modernism, allowing the eye to move seamlessly and always see something new.
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Killerwhale Panel
Philip Gray
SOLDRed Cedar wood, Acrylic paint
SOLD – For artist commission inquiries, please contact us.
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Eagle Blue Bentwood Box
Philip Gray
SOLDYellow Cedar wood, Acrylic paint
SOLD – For artist commission inquiries, please contact us.
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Frog Pendant
Lyle Wilson
CA$2,300.00Boxwood, Sterling silver
As part of this exhibit NUGWA (I/me) decided to carve small, off-cut pieces of wood into a series of jewelry, because the medium of wood, itself, has an inherent beauty!
The HAISLA word for a pendant is NEE-CHA-WA — and the series of NEE-CHA-WA are carved at a fine jewelry-scale because NUGWA love wood and don’t want to throw away even small pieces of them. NUGWA first started in the jewelry field so when NUGWA got into carving wood, applying jewelry skills to such small pieces of wood was a “natural” progression.
This KWEE-KWA-NAUCH (frog) is a specific crest belonging to the IKSDUQ’IYA (Eagle Clan).
Lyle Wilson 2024
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Shaman’s Wand Sculpture
Lyle Wilson
SOLDYellow Cedar wood
27.5 x 4 x 3.25″
28.25 x 6 x 6″ (including base)This carving is an artistic exploration of the shamanic “world”. The HAY-LEE-CLA (shaman) used many implements to enhance his ceremonies, rituals and demonstrations of his magic powers.
One such interesting implement was a wand, or as some call it a baton — apparently used to keep time and rhythm during a chant or song, as well as to impress any viewer.
In this case the JM-DEE-GA (dorsal fin) of a HULL-CHEY-NAUCH (orca) is the background and various creatures are added which fit into a shamanic theme. From bottom to top on one side there are: a celestial face with 4 directional arrows, a strange fish-like creature with an arm and long tongue, MIYA (fish), chanting HAY-LEE-CLA, and a weeping KWEE-KWA-NAUCH (frog) on top.
On the other side there are: another celestial face, a worm, MIYA, upside-down TA-GWAH (octopus), 3 faces and the backside of the KWEE-KWA-NAUCH on top.
Apparently during a demonstration of HAY-LEE-CLA power there would be drumming, singing and chanting to call on various spirit-helpers to come help. During the drumming, singing and chanting a wand would be used in time with the rhythm; then at certain intervals the wand would be raised and prominently displayed in an impressive manner as possible.
In the olden days such a performance must have been quite an impressive spectacle because it was usually held at nighttime in a traditional bighouse, lit only by flickering bonfire which cast “dancing” shadows — such a dramatic setting left plenty of room for a viewer’s imagination to run wild!
Lyle Wilson 2024
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Shaman Rattle
Lyle Wilson
SOLDYew wood, Acrylic paint
Stone and metal display stand
12.5 x 7.5 x 6.25″ (rattle only)
13.75 x 7.5 x 7.5″ (including stand)To the HAISLA, GLUMC (Yew) was a special wood— it’s wood, bark and needles were boiled in hot water to make a “tea” that cured various sicknesses.
Shamanism was once widespread amongst all Pacific Northwest (PNC) native peoples. Very little is known about the actual practices of shamanism, but in those early years people strongly believed in the HAY-LEE-CLA (shaman) and his powers; both AIX (good) and YAX (bad).
A YADEN (rattle) was part of a HAY-LEE-CLA’s regalia — their rattling sound alerted the spirit-helpers that their presence was needed. Quite a few shaman’s YADEN are a large, round shape — this new YADEN conforms to that rounded format.
The front of the YADEN consists of a large face, and within its’ eye sockets are 2 smaller faces; still within those faces are four more faces — bringing the total number of faces to seven. All of them alluding to the spirit-helpers of the HAY-LEE-CLA.
The YADEN’s back has an abstract formline face, shallowly carved and painted. Occupying the centre is a small KWEE-KWA-NAUCH (frog) — an animal able to live in the two worlds of the land and water; this dual ability was believed to be a magical power.
This YADEN is carved from a very large piece GLUMC log (the tree itself was aprox. 350 years old) found, and salvaged, from an abandoned, commercial-logging clear-cut area. So this YADEN is “especially” special because of GLUMC’s traditional usage, it’s rarity in modern PNC carvings, and the fact that a piece of the original, giant, ancient GLUMC tree has a second “life” — rather than eventually rotting away and being forgotten.
Lyle Wilson 2024
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Orca Model Pole
Lyle Wilson
SOLDYellow Cedar wood
37 x 9.5 x 6″ (model pole only)
44 x 12.5 x 8.5″ (including plexi-glass case)HULL-CHEY-NAUCH is the HAISLA word for an orca (past terms are: Killer Whale and Blackfish).
There are HULL-CHEY-NAUCH clans in most — if not all — Pacific Northwest groups and NUGWA (I/me) attribute that to our ancestors witnessing, and admiring, the majesty, beauty and intelligence of the wild HULL-CHEY-NAUCH.
In the olden days it was believed that the HULL-CHEY-NAUCH lived in a traditional GYUU-AUCH (bighouse) under the AH-AH-WAUCH (sea/ocean), and there was a HULL-CHEY-NAUCH
HEY-MAS (chief). He ruled over the rest of the HULL-CHEY-NAUCH and the other creatures of the AH-AH-WAUCH. The HULL-CHEY-NAUCH could also take off their outer-skin to reveal their human forms.The HULL-CHEY-NAUCH HEY-MAS was rich, powerful and feared by mortals. He is depicted on this GLA-GLA-QWIL-SALA (totem pole) with his head at the bottom and his tail on top — the dorsal fin connects both and the pectoral are on both sides.
The HULL-CHEY-NAUCH we see today, are considered to be descendants of the historical, myth-time HULL-CHEY-NAUCH.
Lyle Wilson 2024