First Nations Owl Moon Mask is subtitled, “Becoming Himself”. Measures 17 X 17 inches, priced at $2375. Hand-worked traditional red cedar bark border and top bundle. Masterful carving and painting is on display here by the artist John Henry Hunt.

His work is well known for details, fineness, and intense accuracy. The great detail and depth of his work appeals to both contemporary and traditional collectors.

Forest Gems is very proud to feature multiple pieces of his work, please come in and see these pieces up-close.

About the Artist

John Henry Hunt was born in 1974 in Alert Bay, a small village community whose artists have had an outsized and profound effect on art traditions of the larger region. This art “hotspot” village is off the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia. Alert Bay also hosts the world’s tallest totem pole!

Given his first set of carving tools at 14 years of age, John began to carve seriously in 1991. He prefers to work with the soft wood of the majestic Red Cedar tree indigenous to British Columbia.

John is a member of the Kwagiulth Nation and takes the powerful Thunderbird as his family crest.

John lists the amazing Tony Hunt Jr. (1961-2016) as his teacher, and his grandfather Henry Hunt as his creative inspiration.

The Native Owl symbol represents a bird of wisdom and intuition, magic and prophecy. Some First Nations believed that the sound of the Owl was a call to summon the spirit world. Owls are often seen as having wisdom and acting as all-seeing knowledge messengers.

Owls are birds of the night – they have the power to see the unseen in the blackest of darkness, to hunt for food and fly silently through the night. Some healers call upon the Owl for insight into the truth of ill-intent.

In some Native cultures, owls are associated with magic and astral travel. The owl represents wisdom and gives the ability to see things that are normally hidden from view, such as the motives of others, and seeing through deception to the truth of a situation. The owl symbol can aid in the intention to increase your wisdom or intuitive skills.

Owl energy helps you to connect with your inner wisdom and intuition. Some activities that can help support this connection include dreams and meditation.