Samhain Waxing Moon of the Winter Solstice
Working with the Thaw collection today, two tours. As I’ve gone back over my notes, the collection becomes alive again, a collection of masterpiece art made by native American artists, women and men, in many materials from all the regions of North America save Mexico. The Tsimishian raven frontlet is still my favorite, a compact work, well-carved with abalone inlay. It features, probably, Raven Who Owns The Sun; the image of raven enhanced with an abalone sun that, when struck with light, flares back the rays of our home star.
The Yupik mask, too, with its feathery margin, fox teeth and diving seals, conveys the power necessary to hunt in the frozen world of the Arctic. In order both to survive the hunt and bring back food essential for life shamanic prayer and ritual added itself to the hunter’s knowledge and weaponry, giving as much of an edge as possible to the Yupik hunter.
Though the phrase is from a current photography show, I would call the Thaw collection an embarrassment of riches.
