1970's
Available as a pair or individually. Please contact the gallery directly to inquire.
Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are related to crest symbols. Crests have been passed down through families and have varying meanings depending on the context and association with a nation, clan, or family. The figures depicted in contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous artwork also have varying meanings but there are some common characteristics from a range of sources, including oral histories and artist descriptions.
The Sea Serpent, Sisiult, symbolizes protection, supernatural power and revival. In Coast Salish culture, Sisiult is believed to have created the rivers throughout Salish territory. The Sisiutl is a supernatural three-headed serpent that possesses shapeshifting abilities and the ability to turn spectators into stone when gazed upon. Not only can the Sisiutl change shape into a human or animal, but it can also transform its body into a self-propelled canoe that the owner must feed with seals.
