Salmon 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 MIYA (general word for fish; in this case a salmon).
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 1.25 x 0.25" (5.08 x 3.18 x 0.64cm)
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 MIYA (general word for fish; in this case a salmon).
Lyle Wilson 2024
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This is the story of WEE-GIT, the Trickster GAX (raven) stealing the “Ball of Light” — this carving includes the GIZUA (sun), NA-GWA-JEE (moon),and the XEE-XEE-GIZUA (stars) being released into the sky at the same time.
In the olden days, the world was originally in darkness so it was very hard for WEE-GIT to hunt for food in order to try 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 such 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, he threw the “Ball of Light” into the sky; when he did that smaller pieces broke off.
That is why there are now are the GIZAU, NA-GWA-JEE and XEE-XEE-GIZUA casting their light from the sky; WEE-GIT’s unintentional gift 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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