Thunderbird Cedar Wood Totem Carving
Cecil Dawson Thunderbird Totem Pole
NOS Beautiful, original and signed 12 inches high by 4 inch wide and 4 inch deep with his depiction of ''Thunderbird'' in the style of the Kwakuitl nation .
This beautiful cedar wood totem is signed by Hereditary Chief and artist Cecil Dawson.
The Thunderbird symbolizes supernatural power and is believed to be the dominating force behind all of natures doings. It's a mythical creature and only the most prestigious and powerful Chiefs are allowed to have the Thunderbird as a crest especially among the Kwagiulth, Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Coast Salish people.
Wood Carver, Painter, First Nations, Pryrographic Woodburner
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada • Kwakuitl Nation
Born into a family of artists, Cecil Dawson began his artistic career at a very young age. His grandfather Jimmy Dick, a totem and mask carver, taught Cecil the intricacies of carving. Cecil also spent time under the tutelage of his cousin, mask carver Simon Dick. Other masters who influenced Cecil's artistic gifts were his great uncles Willie Seaweed, Henry Speck, and Dick Hawkins.
Cecil is from the Kwakwaka'wakw First Nation. His father is head chief of the Mountain Goat Hunter clan and his mother comes from the Wolf clan. Cecil's cultural involvement is important to him; he is a historian and an initiated Hamatsa dancer.
Cecil's great labour of love is to replicate his family's masks and bring them back into ceremonial use once again. By doing so, he honours his cultural and traditional values. Cecil has a strong sense of propriety and will not copy from a book. His pieces are unique and to his own style, demonstrating a deeply rooted understanding of his culture.