TOTEMS TO TURQUOISE (AMNH, NEW YORK, NY, USA, 2004)

TOTEMS TO TURQUOISE (AMNH, NEW YORK, NY, USA, 2004)

Silkscreen print in red and black on white background, depicting housefront design with two bird figures facing each other. The one on the left is an eagle, recognizable by the slight downward curve at the end of the beak. The right hand figure, with the straighter beak, is a raven. The raised section on the top of the eagle' s head is slightly larger. Otherwise, these two figures are identical. The centre design is a profile of a bear. From its eye hangs a tear, which contains a face design.The design of the Eagle and the Raven, the crests of the two Haida clans, was done by Jim Hart and painted on his Uncle, Claude Davidson' s house, in Masset. The Raven and the Eagle are the husband and wife of the house. The bear is a crest of the Eagle clan and was designed by Reg Davidson, Claude' s son. The bear is crying in mourning for Reg' s mother, who was killed in a boating accident. Silkscreen prints are a recent development in Northwest Coast Native art, but they incorporate traditional design techniques and subject matter. The prints are often given away at potlatches as gifts from the host to the guests. Prints are also sold commercially to non-Native buyers; Complete

Drawing for "Respect to Bill Reid Pole" house frontal pole. The figures on the drawing for the pole, from bottom to top, include a wolf, a raven, an eagle, and three watchmen. The title and scale of the drawing appear at the top. People's names and phone numbers, and various measurements are written along the left-hand side of the drawing.