16" drum made, designed and painted by Haida artist Derek Edenshaw. ON SALE. THE REGULAR PRICE IS $1500.
In traditional Haida culture sea lions are viewed as beings like people that live in opulent underwater villages. In stories, female sea lions bridge between the human and spirit worlds. They recognize a human in distress, lost at sea or drowning, and transport him to their underwater world. There the sea lions take of their skins, which are like blankets and then look like humans. When those heroes returned to the human world they brought spiritual wealth with them. The sea lion is a being of immense spiritual power.
Haida people traditionally use all parts of the sea lion. The meat and fat are highly valued as a smoked delicacy. Some fat is rendered into oil. The whiskers are used on chiefs frontlets and believed to act a antenna to the spirit world. The hide was used for heavy duty clothing, boots and armour. The International organ were used for food storage, floats, and drawstrings for bows.
Sea Lion is a crest animal. It’s associated with wealth and prestige. In Haida origin stories the supernaturals were often accompanied by a sea lion.
