Orca Pendant
Availability: Only 1 available
by Lyle Wilson
Yew wood, 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 NEE-CHA-WA is a HULL-CHEY-NAUCH (orca).
Lyle Wilson 2024
Would you like to add a chain to this pendant? For available chain options at an additional cost, please click here.
2 x 1.5 x 0.5" (5.08 x 3.81 x 1.27cm)
CA$2,200.00
Only 1 available
Reserve this artwork- Description
- Additional Information
- Artist Bio
Yew wood, 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 NEE-CHA-WA is a HULL-CHEY-NAUCH (orca).
Lyle Wilson 2024
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Eagle Ring
Carmen Goertzen
CA$1,700.0014K Yellow Gold, Engraved
Diamond – VS1, 2 pts (1.7mm)
Domed
Width: 1/4″
Size: 6.5
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Killerwhale Ring
Norman Bentley
CA$2,640.0014K Yellow Gold, 14K White Gold Rails, Engraved
Cut-Out Design
Width: 1/2″
Size: 6.75
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Eagle Pendant
Lyle Wilson
CA$2,100.00Yew wood, 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 NEE-CHA-WA is an IKSDUQ’IYA (Eagle).
Lyle Wilson 2024
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Flicker Mask
Lyle Wilson
SOLDNorway Maple wood, Cedar bark rope, Abalone shell, Acrylic paint
NUGWA (I/me) believe the HAISLA word for this bird is JUH-JUS-PEE-CA (woodpecker/flicker).
The JUH-JUS-PEE-CA’s tail JILL-JILLCH (feather) is very distinctive in both color and shape; orange with a pointed end. Some believe — plausibly — its distinctive profile is the inspiration for the Pacific Northwest Coast U-Shape and Split U-Shape.
The JUH-JUS-PEE-CA’s JILL-JILLCH were often added as part of the assemblage of a traditional GEE-GEE-WA (frontlet) — a very prestigious carved item, usually worn by a HEY-MAS (chief) or other important individual during a potlatch, feast or other public occasions.
A special framework allowed the GEE-GEE-WA to be fastened in place. The JUH-JUS-PEE-CA’s JILL-JILLCH were then arranged on both sides of the GEE-GEE-WA, where their colour and distinctive shape complimented the GEE-GEE-WA.
Knowing the historical use of the JUH-JUS-PEE-CA’s JILL-JILLCH, NUGWA got very excited to see a couple of them on the large JAWEE-CA-LAS (maple) tree in our Vancouver backyard. It was absolutely fascinating to watch these beautiful birds and every time they came around NUGWA stopped whatever NUGWA was doing just to watch them.
Sadly the JAWEE-CA-LAS tree was diseased and had to be cut down and replaced. NUGWA saved some of its wood and carved this GEE-GA-MEE (mask) in memory of the two
JUH-JUS-PEE-CA that visited once in awhile — NUGWA believe it kind of captures the spirit of both the JAWEE-CA-LAS tree and the JUH-JUS-PEE-CA.
Lyle Wilson 2024
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Light Panel
Lyle Wilson
CA$33,000.00Red Cedar wood, Acrylic paint
This is the story of WEE-GIT, the Trickster GAX (raven) stealing the “Ball of Light” — in this carving WEE-GIT is painted in the corona, the GIZUA (sun) is peeking from behind his beak, and the NA-GWA-JEE (moon) is the carved, central face.
In the olden days, the world was originally in darkness so it was very hard for WEE-GIT to hunt for food with which to satisfy his never-ending hunger. WEE-GIT knew that an old HEY-MAS (chief) owned, and kept, a “Ball of Light” in a GUH-YO-JEELTH (bentwood box). WEE-GIT decided it would be easier to get food if he could see, so he decided to trick the old HEY-MAS. He did that by using his magical powers to change himself into a pine needle; then floated into the chief’s daughter’s cup of water. She drank both the water and pine needle and became pregnant.
Thus WEE-GIT was reborn as a young boy, and became the treasured grandchild of the old HEY-MAS.
At first the HEY-MAS kept a close watch on WEE-GIT but eventually the HEY-MAS let his “grandson” play with the “Ball of Light”; relatively unsupervised. Taking advantage of the loose supervision WEE-GIT quickly changed back into his true form and grabbed the “Ball of Light” in his beak. He flew up and squeezed through the big-house’s smokehole; the smokehole’s soot turned his white feathers to black when he squeezed out — that’s why all GAX have black feathers today.
The “Ball of Light” was very heavy and WEE-GIT soon became too tired to fly, so rather than let the pursuing HEY-MAS regain it, WEE-GIT threw the “Ball of Light” into the sky and as he did so, pieces broke off.
That is why the NA-GWA-JEE and GIZUA are in the sky; WEE-GIT’s unintentional gifts to mankind. The “Ball of Light” has also served as a metaphor for the beginning of human consciousness on the Pacific Northwest Coast.
Lyle Wilson 2024
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Woodworm Club
Lyle Wilson
CA$2,500.00Yellow Cedar wood, Abalone shell
NUGWA vacillated on whether to keep, or throw them away. Unable to make my mind up right away, NUGWA put them aside.
NUGWA had no specific plans for them, but when NUGWA finally looked at them again, their dimensions were suggestive of a club and cane.
Both pieces also included some of the white-coloured sap-wood — that’s the part prone to rot and other damage, so most carvers don’t tend to use wood that includes sap-wood.
In carvings that are meant for outdoors the inclusion of sap-wood is a legitimate concern, but in today’s world, it’s not as big an issue because most contemporary carvings are destined for the indoors, or another protected environment.
So when NUGWA was looking at the off-cuts, there were some tiny holes visible, caused by insects tunnelling though the sap-wood — the tunnels formed a web of organic and artistic-looking patterns.
They added a sort of pleasing “patina” when incorporated as part of the overall aesthetic of a carving — implying “the passage-of-time slowly eating away at Man’s accomplishments”.
The worm-hole patterns became the inspiration for this “WOODWORM” club.
Lyle Wilson 2024