For this last month in the calendar year, we have used this space to explore the powers and gifts of that great healing spirit we call Bear — specifically, as rendered in stone. His previous incarnations here have appeared in solitary form, whether carrying a medicine bundle or not.
But on this last Friday and penultimate day of the year, now only hours from that mysterious point at which this world passes from our view and a new one forms around us, it seems appropriate to call upon Bear in a more mystical form.
Today’s featured work is a carving by the same artist whose work we featured on the first Friday of this month: Ned Archuleta. He is one of the Pueblo’s masters, working a style that encompasses a broad range but is nevertheless distinctly his own. And this work, while relatively small in physical stature, is one of his more powerful pieces, one that unites three spirits in one: Elder, Bear, and the Hawk that also gives the work its name. From its description in our Other Artists: Sculpture gallery here on the site:
Bearhawk
In his trademark style, master carver Ned Archuleta (Taos Pueblo) melds together the spirits of a traditional elder and an animal into one mystical piece. Here, it’s the elder and a bear, traditional symbol of medicine and power, rendered in smooth, flowing, silken lines of clay-colored alabaster shot with bits of warm golden-hued streaks in the stone. About six inches in overall length, it sits on a wooden base.
Alabaster on wooden base
$225 + shipping, handling, and insurance
Requires special handling; extra shipping charges apply
The story behind the name is one left to the imagination: Is it the traditional name bestowed upon the man? Or is it, too, a whole third spirit, its great wings enfolding the man like a blanket? All that is truly clear is the physical presence of Bear, a being who, depending on the culture and tradition, can represent great physical strength and power, courage, a warrior-like spirit, and even (especially?) healing and Medicine.
In these dark cold days of full winter, when the light remains short and nights long and, this year, the prospect of the world about to be born fills the soul with trepidation rather than hope, we can all use the wisdom of united spirits: of the elders, who hold our histories, our traditions, our words, our blood in their own souls, whence they pass them to future generations; of Hawk, sharp-eyed and fierce, a swift and skilled messenger to other spirits; and of Bear, who instills in us the courage and strength and healing power to protect our own.
As we count down the hours until the old world becomes new again, they remind us that their gifts are there for us to use in ensuring that the new world is a good one.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owners.
