New In the Gallery
The gallery is pleased to present a new selection of works by various Iroquois Artists including; Bud Henry, Cyril Henry, Teyo Hill, Dale Isaacs, Todd Longboat, Craig Longboat, Willy Skye, Rayne Skye and Payton Skye.
The Iroquois Confederacy or the Haudenosaunee, is a league of five nations, the Mohawk, Oneida, Seneca, Cayuga and Onondaga. Although they originally lived in what is now New York State, the Iroquois now also live on land in Ontario, specifically the Six Nation area of Ohsweken, and Quebec.
Iroquois sculpture initially began with artists carving False Face Masks from wood, then later creating smaller versions, using steatite. Steatite is a talc compound stone that falls within the soapstone family.
There are many cultural themes that the artists draw upon when carving their sculptures. The Eagle is a symbol of friendship and peace, the Turtle is carved in honour of the Creation Legend of Turtle Island and The Tree of Peace, the white pine. When the Confederacy originally formed, the chiefs buried their weapons under the roots of the Tree of Peace in hopes that their grandchildren would never know the meaning of war.
Sculptors also are drawn to the Iroquois Clan system and often depict Wolf, Bear, Deer, Eel, Beaver, Snipe, Hawk and Heron among others.
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