Orca Soapberry Spoon
Availability: Only 1 available
by Lyle Wilson
Yew wood
NUGWA (I/me) consider GLUMC (Yew wood) a special, and relatively rare wood, NUGWA kept many off-cuts and other scrap pieces — it’s recognizing our overall need to conserve natural resources. So NUGWA resolved to use, as much as possible, even small pieces of GLUMC so the original tree wasn’t wasted. This piece was an off-cut from a larger GLUMC carving (the growth rings indicated the original tree was approximately 350 yrs old.). The long, skinny “scrap-wood” became a USS (soapberry) KA-JA-NAUCH (spoon).
USS is a traditional dessert made from a berry that is beaten into a pinkish, foamy (hence the translation to “soapberry”) dessert and a paddle-like KA-JA-NAUCH was used to eat it. USS was considered a true delicacy in the olden days and served on special occasions like potlatches and feasts — it’s still traded and eaten today.
Normally most Pacific Northwest Coast carvers don’t use GLUMC because it’s a very tough, wild-grained, and relatively rare wood; as well it usually has many knots and other “flaws”. Such characteristic ensured that even in the olden days, it wasn’t used as extensively as other woods.
However, given that the goal was to use even scrap pieces of GLUMC, and USS being special foods, NUGWA combined these factors with jewelry techniques and carved this USS KA-JA-NAUCH.
This USS KA-JA-NAUCH is carved with the clan crest of the HULL-CHEY-NAUCH (orca) swimming in the AH-AH-WAUCH (sea/ocean).
Lyle Wilson 2024
12 x 1.25 x 0.25" (30.48 x 3.18 x 0.64cm)
CA$1,300.00
Only 1 available
Reserve this artwork- Description
- Additional Information
- Artist Bio
Yew wood
NUGWA (I/me) consider GLUMC (Yew wood) a special, and relatively rare wood, NUGWA kept many off-cuts and other scrap pieces — it’s recognizing our overall need to conserve natural resources. So NUGWA resolved to use, as much as possible, even small pieces of GLUMC so the original tree wasn’t wasted. This piece was an off-cut from a larger GLUMC carving (the growth rings indicated the original tree was approximately 350 yrs old.). The long, skinny “scrap-wood” became a USS (soapberry) KA-JA-NAUCH (spoon).
USS is a traditional dessert made from a berry that is beaten into a pinkish, foamy (hence the translation to “soapberry”) dessert and a paddle-like KA-JA-NAUCH was used to eat it. USS was considered a true delicacy in the olden days and served on special occasions like potlatches and feasts — it’s still traded and eaten today.
Normally most Pacific Northwest Coast carvers don’t use GLUMC because it’s a very tough, wild-grained, and relatively rare wood; as well it usually has many knots and other “flaws”. Such characteristic ensured that even in the olden days, it wasn’t used as extensively as other woods.
However, given that the goal was to use even scrap pieces of GLUMC, and USS being special foods, NUGWA combined these factors with jewelry techniques and carved this USS KA-JA-NAUCH.
This USS KA-JA-NAUCH is carved with the clan crest of the HULL-CHEY-NAUCH (orca) swimming in the AH-AH-WAUCH (sea/ocean).
Lyle Wilson 2024
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Iksduq’iya & Qolun (Eagle & Beaver) Box
Lyle Wilson
Price upon requestSterling Silver, Engraved and Textured on Hollow-ware2015
“My father’s Eagle Clan adopted me, but I was actually born into my mother’s Beaver Clan. Since the Haisla followed a matrilineal system, whereby every child was automatically included into its mother’s clan, my unusual adoption was due to the circumstances of the Eagle Clan having so many of its members die. Due to the early and unfamiliar diseases, everyone feared the clan would eventually become extinct.
I’ve always loved the look of a full-size, traditional wooden bent-box and liked the idea of a smaller, silver box using the same traditional proportions. It adds a unique sculptural look to any small box which, once seen, becomes a more appreciated detail with every subsequent examination. The box’s construction technique is very deceptive; it looks solid but is actually a box-within-a-box, with the hollow spaces between each ‘box’ allowing for visually thicker walls. For this box, I decided to honor my connections to both Haisla Clans – Beaver and Eagle – by engraving each on one-half of the box. The box’s lid has another Eagle engraved on the top, and the Halibut, a sub-crest shared by both clans, is engraved around the edges.”
-Lyle Wilson, 2016
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The Chase Bentwood Box
Philip Gray
SOLDRed Cedar wood, Operculum shell, Acrylic paint
SOLD – For artist commission inquiries, please contact us.
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Beaver & Eagle Fish Bowl
Derek J. White
CA$8,000.00Sterling Silver; Repousse, Engraved
Derek White’s extraordinary Beaver & Eagle Fish Bowl, created in the traditional Haida form and utilizing the ancient technique of repousse to add dimension, demonstrates his articulate master carving and artistry skills. Containers such as bowls were traditionally created out of Cedar or Alder wood and utilized in daily life. The chosen medium of silver serves as a contemporary progression of this ancient art form while illustrating the intricate foundational links which combine cultural heritage with the arts.
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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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Weegit’s (Raven) Housefront Panel
Lyle Wilson
CA$9,000.00Red Cedar wood, Yellow Cedar wood, Abalone
This is the aftermath of one “famous adventure” of WEE-GIT, the TRICKSTER GAX (Raven):
“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 traditional 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 bighouse’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 GIZUA (sun), XEE-XEE-GIZUA (stars) and NA-GWA-JEE (moon) are in the sky; they are 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.”
Although entirely of my imagination NUGWA decided to continue the story a bit further. Afterwards, WEE-GIT decided to build himself a traditional HAISLA bighouse and have the housefront and front gables decorated with various images of himself — the GIZUA occupies the apex of the bighouse, the XEE-XEE-GIZUA just below, and peeking out the round entrance is a NA-GWA-JEE face.
Lyle Wilson 2024
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Miya (Fish) Pendant
Lyle Wilson
CA$1,200.00Sterling silver, Repousse, Chased, Engraved, Textured
2015