Raven Frontlet Amulet
Availability: Only 1 available
Yellow Cedar wood, Abalone shell, Copper, Acrylic paint
A frontlet is a forehead mask attached to a woven headpiece. It is worn by chiefs and high-ranking individuals as a display of crests and status. Frontlets are often decorated with materials that are symbols of wealth and power: abalone shell, operculum shell, sea lion whiskers, feathers and/or ermine pelts.
$2,900.00 CAD
Only 1 available
Reserve for Purchase
You may choose to reserve an item in consideration of purchase by clicking the "Reserve for Purchase" button (instead of Add to Shopping Cart). This allows you the opportunity to contact our gallery with any inquiries prior to purchase and it will ensure the item continues to be on hold while you are communicating with us.
If you should find an item already on "Reserve" that is of interest to you, please contact us directly at 604.684.9222 or inquiry@coastalpeoples.com and we can provide you with the status of the piece and whether it will become available for purchase again, or if the sale is in progress with a buyer.
Layaway
One of life’s most rewarding experiences is collecting fine art, and sometimes it’s best to take a little more time to make these acquisitions with ease. We understand and want to do everything possible to make collecting your next artwork more comfortable. At Coastal Peoples Gallery, we offer an interest-free layaway program and offer flexible terms which can be customized to your individual needs.
- Description
- Additional Information
- Artist Bio
Yellow Cedar wood, Abalone shell, Copper, Acrylic paint
A frontlet is a forehead mask attached to a woven headpiece. It is worn by chiefs and high-ranking individuals as a display of crests and status. Frontlets are often decorated with materials that are symbols of wealth and power: abalone shell, operculum shell, sea lion whiskers, feathers and/or ermine pelts.
Dimensions | 3 x 2.75 x 2.5" |
---|---|
Product Number | I-62701 |
![]() |
|
---|---|
Artist | Kevin Daniel Cranmer |
Nation | Kwakwaka'wakw Nation |
Description | Kwakwaka’wakw Nation Kwakwaka’wakw artist Kevin Cranmer was born in Alert Bay, British Columbia, but has lived all but four years of his life in Victoria. His father, Danny, is from the ‘Namgis Nation, while his mother, Lily, is from the Mamlilikala Nation. These are just two of the many Nations of the Kwakwaka’wakw peoples. Cranmer’s work often speaks to his diverse coastal background as he can trace his ancestry to the many Nations of Kwakwaka’wakw people as well the Tlingit of Alaska. As the nephew of Doug Cranmer, the renowned Kwak’waka’wakw artist and Namgis chief, Kevin has been immersed in the world of art from a very young age. His formal instruction came under the tutelage of his cousin, George Hunt Jr. He later worked with artists Tony Hunt Sr., Tony Hunt Jr., and Calvin Hunt. Kevin’s introduction to larger monumental sculpture began when he first started to work alongside renowned Nuu-chah-nulth artist, Tim Paul, in Thunderbird Park at the Royal British Columbia Museum. Thus, his large-scale works include several large co-operative projects: a 40 foot pole which stands in Stanley Park, Vancouver; a 36 foot pole carved for the closing ceremonies at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand and an elaborately carved and painted Chief’s seat for the newly rebuilt Big House in Alert Bay. Kevin Cranmer is an active participant in the continuation of his cultural heritage through the arts. He is a respected member of his community and is an initiated Hamatsa member, one of the most sacred of the complex secret dance societies of the Kwakwaka’wakw. His artistic works not only exhibit and share unique Kwakwaka’wakw formal traditions but also preserve those traditions for future generations. Kevin Cranmer continues to create pieces for family and for use in ceremony.
Accolades:
Exhibitions: 2014 Winter Solstice: Celebrating the Coming of Light, an online group exhibition at Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery, Vancouver, B.C., November 2012 Cranmer + Gray, Duel Artist exhibition at Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery. Vancouver, BC. 2007 Coastal Legacy, Group exhibition at Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery. Vancouver, BC. 2006 Transcendence: a decade in perspective, Group exhibition at Coastal Peoples Fine Arts 2005 Where the Spirits Gather, Group exhibition at Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery. Vancouver, BC. 2005 Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest, Group Exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History. New York, USA. 2004 Box of Treasures, Group exhibition at Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery. Vancouver, BC. |
you may also like
-
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.
-
Raven Transforming Into Human Pendant
Philip Janze
Price upon request22K Yellow Gold, Repousse, Chased, Engraved
Domed