Haida art is renowned among Indigenous art styles. Argillite Eagle pendant with a silver bezel created by Andrew Williams.
At the top centre is the head of an eagle with abalone inlays on the eye and the nostril. The left wing folds down and across over the right wing. There are human faces on the shoulders with abalone eyes. The title is mysterious. Perhaps it’s a transformation.
Argillite that the Haida use for argillite carvings and jewelry can be found in a quarry on Slatechuck Mountain near the town of Skidegate, on the east central coast of this amazing and beautiful island archipelago off the west coast of Canada. The land and quarry are owned by the Haida Nation who hold proprietary ownership.
Argillite from the Haida quarry is a hard, fine, black silt, sometimes referred to as "black slate" that is unique to Haida Gwaii and can be found nowhere else in the world. Argillite is a sedimentary rock that started as a clay like material. When it was exposed to very high temperatures 80 million years ago, it strengthened and solidified. This process created a fine stone that is perfect for carving. An argillite carver can create works of art that have very fine details, by working with the layers in the argillite.
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