Vtg N Brotchie NW Coast First Nations Sterling Silver Thunderbird Pendant Chain

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Vtg N Brotchie NW Coast First Nations Sterling Silver Thunderbird Pendant Chain:
$74.78

Vintage Norman Brotchie Hand Carved Sterling Silver Thunderbird Pendant and Chain
Description: Wonderful vintage sterling silver thunderbird pendantPendant is designed and hand carved by First Nations artist Norman Brotchie.
Pendant is faintly inscribed on the reverse N.F. Brotchie \" Thunderbird\" Kwakiutl
Pendant is sterling silver. The bail joining the pendant to the chain may be brass or just discoloured. 18 \" sterling chain
Pendant Dimension: 1.25\" x .5\" (33 mm x 13 mm)
Weight: 7 gramsAbout the Thunderbird
The thunderbird symbolizes power, protection and strength. He is often seen as the most powerful of all spirits. He creates thunder by clapping his wings. He can transform into human form by opening up his head like a mask and taking off his feathers like a blanket. He saved First Nations people from times of food shortage, asking in return to be placed at the top of totem.About the Artist
Norman Brotchie is a First Nations artist and member of the Kwakwaka\'kw tribe. He is noted for his silverwork as well asfor mentoring and inspiring celebrated First Nations artist Corinne Hunt. As a maternal uncle, he piqued her interest with his beautiful hand carved jewellery and he was instrumental in introducing her to theKwak-waka’wakw (formerly Kwakiutl) art history.
His First Nation Family
Kwak-waka’wakw are a Pacific Northwest Coast indigenous people who number approximately 5,500. Most live in British Columbia on northern Vancouver Island (Alert Bay, Port Hardy) and the adjoining mainland. Others live on islands around Johnstone Strait and Queen Charlotte Strait.Kwakwaka\'wakw arts consist of a diverse range of crafts, including totems, masks, textiles, jewelry and carved objects, ranging in size from masks to 40\' tall totem poles. Woven textiles included the Chilkat blanket, dance aprons, and button cloaks; each patterned with Kwakwaka\'wakw designs. The Kwakwaka\'wakw used a variety of objects for jewelry, including bone, abalone shell, copper, silver and more. Adornments were frequently found on the clothes of important persons.