Description
To the Kwakwaka’wakw people, art and ceremony allow them to express a connection to, and appreciation for, all the living things that sustain them—including the Salmon, believed to be immortal people who offer themselves up as food, and whose bones are returned to the waters so they may rise again to continue the cycle of life. Signifying fertility and prosperity, the Salmon is given pride of place on this 10 oz. 99% pure silver adaptation of an original Kwakwaka’wakw carving, where it serves as a beautifully crafted tribute to the natural cycles that sustain life, and to a revered specie that is deeply connected to all living creatures on the Northwest Coast. GST/HST Exempt.
The Design:
Enhanced with selective gold plating and a variety of frostings, your coin’s reverse re-creates an original cedar panel carved by Kwakwaka’wakw artist Junior Henderson, complete with engraved carving marks. The design centres on an adult Salmon rendered in the Northwest Coast formline style, its form extending in a circular motion so that the head is curved over the tail. The sense of movement extends to the twisting border that surrounds the Salmon, which is depicted with child (centre right) to represent fertility, abundance and renewal. The selectively gold-plated obverse features the effigy of His Majesty King Charles III by Canadian artist Steven Rosati.
