The artist is a member of the Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) First Nation, originating from Vancouver Island, on Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada.

His father was a hereditary chief of the Snaw-naw-as Nation, originating from Nanoose Bay.

The artist is known world wide for his beautiful creations of wood, gold and silver, truly keeping the tradition of his peoples in mind. He clearly loves his art and is constantly developing new designs.

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Mouse Woman, or Kugaan Jaad, is the mother of Raven in Haida mythology. She often appears in stories as a helper or advisor to those who are on a journey or about to travel between worlds.

Legend: The Hungry Little Mouse

The mouse who lived at the base of the Douglas Fir’s trunk was grateful for the protection of the strong tree. The Douglas Fir felt sorry for the hungry mouse and told him to climb to the end of his branches, for there he would find seeds inside the cones.

The thankful mouse found the seeds filling and feasted whenever his belly felt hungry. But soon the woodland mice clan questioned how he stayed so fat and healthy. The mouse felt sorry for the hungry clan, but kept the fir’s generosity a secret, for he worried that if he told the others about his food source, then the tree would have no seeds left for the summer winds to scatter.

One night, when the forest was quiet, the little mouse climbed up the great fir tree to dine. He had no idea that at that very moment a spy mouse was watching his every move. The spy watched secretly becoming more and more excited. He could not wait to tell the rest of the mouse clan what he observed. Their hunger was about to end!

It wasn’t long before hordes of hungry mice raced towards the fir tree, climbed the laden branches, and attacked the cones of the great fir. In anger, the Douglas Fir snapped the cones closed, trapping the mice. To this day, the little legs and tails of the raiding mice can be seen sticking out from between the scales.

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Nothing is known about this unsigned piece, or who the fine artist is that created it. Our research has shown us that it is an outstanding example of a southeastern Alaskan Yup'ik Halo Mask. If you love Alaskan native art, don't miss this amazing piece.

Please zoom in to all the photos and see the remarkable craftsmanship.

A Yup'ik halo mask, also known as a ring mask or spirit wheel mask, is a type of mask used in Yup'ik dance ceremonies. They are typically made of wood, and painted with few colors. The Yup'ik masks were carved by men or women, but mainly were carved by the men.

These masks represent the artist's vision of the universe, combining elements of the Arctic realms like earth, sky, and water. They are often worn by shamans during ceremonies to connect with spirits and are believed to symbolize the bond between humans, animals, nature, and spirits.

Social aspects of Yup’ik masks
Making masks and participating in performances was also important for forging social bonds. It bought together distant communities helping solidify relationships. Reciprocal dances left different villages indebted to repay the favor. The performances were also a time of transmitting knowledge of the spirit world to the younger generation. Spirit beings were not only people, but also animals, and elements of the environment, and sometimes combinations of both. It was an opportunity for Sharman and village chiefs to exchange knowledge During ceremonies, masks transformed the individual wearing it into that spirit. Masks were not worn to pretend to be a spirit but so the dancer could become that spirit. That spirit would then ensure plentiful game in spring. This element of transformation is often reflected in the appearance of the masks themselves. Many masks combine animal and spirit and human elements.
Thank you new-guinea-tribal-arts.com/yupik-masks

For the Yupik people of southwestern Alaska, masked dancing has long been a focal point of ceremonial activity. Performed traditionally inside the communal men’s house during festivals, the dances made visible the world of the spirits and extraordinary beings and were specially made to tell particular stories.

Each mask was unique, created as a tangible manifestation of a shaman’s vision to bring the unseen or unknowable into a solid form. Yupik cosmology revolves around the close relationship between human society and the spirit world. The souls of animal spirits were thanked for willingly offering their bodies to hunters.

Yupik masks were used by shamans to facilitate communication and movement between worlds (human and animal, the living and the dead). Specimens first found their way into museum collections via nineteenth-century traders and collectors working along the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers, and soon were displayed internationally. Hanging on museum walls or sold by art dealers, the masks were admired for their brilliant sense of design and became a major source of inspiration for Surrealist artists such as André Breton, Roberto Matta, Yves Tanguy, Robert Lebel and Max Ernst.

Yupik carvers strove to represent the helping spirits they encountered in vision, dream, or experience – the central locus where the surrealists found their inspiration. Although some Yupik, such as shamans, were recognized as having more direct contact with the spirit world than others, through masks and masked dances everyone could vividly experience it.

Through the masks, sprits revealed themselves as simultaneously dangerous and potentially beneficial. Masks, in essence, were stage props, special but not sacred, and most were discarded after use.

Feathers and white downy plumes are found in many Yupik masks and are said to represent stars in the night sky.
Thank you duendeartprojects.com

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This artist is a member of the Squamish Nation which consists of descendants of the Coast Salish Aboriginal peoples, originating from the greater Vancouver area, Gibson’s Landing and Squamish River watershed. This young artist’s style is a blend of strong family Kwakwaka’wakw art styles, and unique personal taste towards contemporary inspirations. He is a member of a premier artistic family.

Squamish is a town north of Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada. It’s at the northern tip of the island-dotted Howe Sound, and surrounded by mountains like the Stawamus Chief, a huge granite monolith.

Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim is one of the 10 languages within the Coast Salish branch. The Squamish People, who are the Indigenous Peoples that speak Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim, are often referred to as the Squamish Nation today.

Kwakwaka’wakw oral history says their ancestors (ʼnaʼmima) came in the forms of animals by way of land, sea, or underground. When one of these ancestral animals arrived at a given spot, it discarded its animal appearance and became human. Animals that figure in these origin myths include the Thunderbird, his little brother Kolas, the seagull, orca, grizzly bear, or chief ghost. Some ancestors have human origins and are said to come from distant places.

The first documented contact with Europeans was with Captain George Vancouver in 1792. Disease, which developed as a result of direct contact with European settlers along the West Coast of Canada, drastically reduced the Indigenous Kwakwaka’wakw population during the late 19th-early 20th century. Kwakwaka’wakw population dropped by 75% between 1830 and 1880. The 1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic alone killed over half of the people.

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Dzunuk'wa, also known as Tsonoqua, is a supernatural being in Kwakwaka'wakw and Nuu-chah-nulth mythology, often referred to as the "Wild Woman of the Woods"

She is venerated as a bringer of wealth, but is also greatly feared by children, because she is also known as an ogress who steals children and carries them home in her basket to eat.

Tsonoqua's dualistic nature, embodying both fear and wealth, reflects the complex and sometimes contradictory nature of the Kwakwaka'wakw world.

In one myth, she falls into a pit of fire, hence, her appearance is black in color. In masks and totem pole images she is shown with bright red pursed lips making her signature cry "Huuu! Huuu!". It is often told to children that the sound of the wind blowing through the cedar trees is actually the call of Dzunuḵ̓wa. Her fearsome reputation kept children close to the village!

Some myths say that she is able to regenerate any wound. She has limited eyesight, and can be easily avoided because she can barely see. In some cultures she is known to be the companion of the Wild Man of the Forest, AKA the Bukwus.

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The Inuit language, particularly in the Arctic region, uses "aivik" or "aivuk" to refer to the walrus. This term is not just a word; it carries cultural weight. Walruses are a key part of the Inuit diet and way of life, with every part of the animal being utilized for food, clothing, and other essential items.

The walrus is also considered a symbol of the Arctic environment and its bounty. The Inuit have a deep respect for the animals that provide them with sustenance, recognizing the interconnectedness of the natural world and the importance of responsible harvesting.

Walrus tusks are used to make tools and also used for carving, and the resulting artwork is an important part of Inuit culture and can be a source of income for artists.

The walrus is a keystone species in the Arctic food web and a vital resource for coastal communities and ecosystems.

For many Alaska Native communities, walrus are a fundamental part of subsistence living. The meat, oil, skin, and ivory are all utilized, ensuring the survival of these communities.

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This piece is beautifully carved, and is crafted from a very fine piece of Serpentine stone. Stop by the gallery and see it in person!

Excellent condition. Please click through the photos to see all the angles and the artist marks.

In Alaska, the seal hunt holds profound meaning for many Alaska Native communities, representing a long-standing cultural and economic tradition. Seals provide vital resources like food, clothing, fuel, and materials for tools and crafts, with their importance extending beyond mere survival to encompass spiritual and social practices. In some cultures, seals are viewed as having a spirit or soul, and hunting rituals are conducted to honor the animal and ensure a bountiful harvest in the future. Seal very much happen to be the "daily bread" of Arctic dwellers. Traditionally, seal hunting provided skins to make the clothing the Inuit needed to keep warm, the blubber they needed to heat their homes and to cook and the meat they needed to sustain life.

The post Alaskan “Man Holding a Seal” Serpentine Stone Carving appeared first on Forest Gems Gallery.

Bukwus (sometimes "bakwas", "bokwus", "bookwus" or "bukwis") is one of the supernatural spirits of the Kwakwaka'wakw people of coastal British Columbia.

Bukwus is a spirit of the dead identified with an afterlife realm inhabited by various ghosts, especially the souls of those who have drowned. Bukwus may serve as the guide between the realms of life and the afterlife. Depending on the myth, Bukwus may also contribute more directly to their deaths.

Bukwus is often called "wild man of the woods" and is described as a gaunt, haggard wild man with a bony face. He is dressed in ragged garments and has long, disheveled hair.

He lives in an invisible house in the forest and the spirits of the drowned congregate there. In some myths he is described as the consort of dzunukwa, and the father of her children.

Bukwus emerges from the forest very early in the morning before too many people are about. He eats ghost food out of cockle shells. Bukwus lingers at the forest threshold at the shore or along forest paths, offering assistance and food to people who are lost. He tries to offer his ghost food to living humans who are stranded in the woods, in order to bring them over to the ghost world. Those who eat Bukwus’ food end up in Bukwus’ realm of the dead.

In traditional Kwakiutl cosmology, Bukwus is clearly a spirit. He is the subject of carved shamanic masks and appears during rituals, especially the traditional winter dance. However, he is now sometimes also identified with Bigfoot or Sasquatch and thus assumed to be a cryptid, an as yet unidentified living being.

In some lore, Bukwus is also known as a Cannibal Giant of the coastal Northwest.

Variant names: Boks or Puks (Bella Coola/Salishan), Bowis (Tsimshian/Penutian), Pi’kis (Nass-Gitksian/Penutian), Pokwas, Pukmis (Nootka/Wakashan), Pukwubis (Makah/ Wakashan).

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The highly detailed paint application uses red, green, coppery terra cotta, and black. The central mask is flanked by wings with openwork carving, and a pendant openwork chest piece hangs at center. Hand-worked red cedar bark bundles add texture. The carving throughout is deep and clean. The overall impression of this large commanding piece is stunning.

The artist is an outstanding master carver from the Kwakiulth First Nation of Vancouver Island. This incredible piece is carved in the old style Kwagul / Tlingit style featuring amazing openwork carving with the traditional forms of the Nakwaxda'xw Nation of Blunden Harbor.

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Signed by the artist. The artist was a member of the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nations of Kamloops, BC. The Kamloops Indian band is a First nations government within the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council, which represents ten of the seventeen Secwepemc band governments.

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