Thursday, June 5, 2014
6:42 pm mdt
LOST TRIBES We just picked up the first casting
of a new Native American bronze sculpture at the foundry. See photos of her in the Native American Sculpture section. LOST TRIBES by VALA OLA Bronze. Life-size,
height 18" x 14" x 12". Limited edition of 35. A FEW WORDS FROM THE ARTIST:
"LOST TRIBES represents all the native american tribes lost to the past. The rich history and tradition of
the native peoples of America adds a beautiful layer to this land. Illnesses brought from Europe and warfare sadly caused
some of the native tribes to be lost forever. This work of art honors those lost to us. She is strong
yet apprensively looking towards the future. Her jewelry is made of shells and pearls. Wampum shells (the long tubular ones)
were used as currency among the tribes. They were made of the inner spiral, or columella of the Channeled whelk shell (white,
or from quahog when purple). The oval shaped beads are olivia shells. Pearls from oysters were collected and
strung on a string of sinew or leather. The pendant is a shell gorget carved out of the whorl of a conch shell. The
cross symbolizes the four winds, it sits within a circle symbolizing the sun/moon. I love to think about how
a pearl collected from an oyster in Tampa Bay in Florida might end up at Pikes Peak in Colorado as it could travel
great distances while being traded from one hand to the next. The composition is unusual as the her head is resting on only four corners symbolizing
the four winds. She is floating like an etheral memory yet never to be forgotten." Vala Ola
6:28 pm mdt
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