HOME | DD
willofthewisp — Gushchu
Published: 2005-12-22 08:01:14 +0000 UTC; Views: 804; Favourites: 15; Downloads: 32
Redirect to original
Description
Copper, Redwood, Yellow Cedar Bark, and Dentillium. And a lot of patience and spirit. 110mm high by 160mm in diameter.This is the second mazier I have made from copper and redwood, and this time I wanted to make a piece that was very much of the Pacific coast. The word Gushchu means Coast Redwood. In Northern California and Southern Oregon Coast Redwood is one of the two sacred "origonal" trees, and is in fact very ancient. I made all the metal parts of copper which traditionally is the simbol of eternity, and attached the redwood to the copper with cordage rather than the usual rivets, nails, or screws. For this I twisted yellow cedar bark, and tied it with a cargo hitch. The feet are in the form of "Coppers," the traditional emblems of wealth status and generosity in many of the islands of Washington British Coloumbia and Alaska. The dentillium that decorate the bowl are the traditional money from all along the pacific coast of North America, and are still quite sought after in some places.
This is the only piece I have that is not for sale. It is for trade, and anyone who wants just has to come up with something that I want in return. The trickey thing is that I do not know what that is, but I'm sure that when the right person with the right thing appears that I will know then.
Related content
Comments: 29
Thanks! I'm very happy with that one.
Cheers.
I have lots of vices. The biggest one is in the smithy, but I have smaller ones in my jewelry studio.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Thanks.
The cheese isn't ready, yet it has to age over the Winter.
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
hahahahaha, i think you're the only person who answered my signature!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Truly a beautiful and sacred object.
spirits bless,
Marion
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks so much on both.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
My crafts account is :devdreamingdraondesign:. Take a look and see if there's a chance that "it" might be something I can do as a comission/trade. I fully understand if my work is "it". I've been there and done that on needing to find the right thing as a price for something.
This is lovely....*wipes drool off the edge of the screen*
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
Thanks,
I'm mot seeing whatever it is I'm looking for, but I know it will come along some time. The trouble is not knowing what "it" is; if I knew I could just say "this is what I want, can you do that?"
Thanks again and thanks for all the Faves.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
No problem. I know how difficult it can be.
And you deserve every one of those favs. Your work is fantastic.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Blast. Click it off my sig....I can carve, but I apparently can't spell.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
This is a very interesting piece. What are they traditionally used for, or if this isn't just for decoration, what's it used for. Very nice with the copper and redwood
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Mazers were origionally an eating bowl, that were used in upper class Medieval Scotland. The Name comes from the same root as maple and measels, that is the old Germanic word "mazae", meaning spotted. They were traditionally made of maple burl, and fitted with silver. In the 20th century the English silversmith Omar Ramsden popularized them again. This mazer that I have made is an art piece, though I have made lots of them that are in use today.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
*sigh* gorgeous... this must have been wonderful to make...
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
It really was, especially twisting up the cedar bark. I went and hung out with a native friend and we sat in her dinning room and made cords and basket splints, now and then going to the bathroom to get more bark out of the tub where it was soaking.
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
Yea, native american, Lashutse I think, though I don't know. Like so many others she was taken as a child and given to a white family, so she could be from most any background. I know that the weavers in the Chehallius tribe don't like her.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
how peaceful! native american friend?
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
check out my stuf, i'm willing to trade, i'm even willing to give you a blank check commission thing.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks. I'm not seeing it, but I will check back from time to time, and will post if and when this piece finds its home.
Chers
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
remember, the commissions thing is always open, if something of mine inspires. Do tell if you find it.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
thats awesome, did you form the copper with hammer right from the rough? also, what sort of finishing process did you do on the copper(finishing being my absolute weakpoint)
-Brent
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
No such luck, working with rough native copper would be great, and I want to try is some day, but it is hard to find big enough samples that have not been heavly etched for display. I did very little finish work on this one. The metal is planished as smooth as seemed right, and then brushed lightly with a fine bristle wheel. The only filing involved was to remove burrs from shearing the parts. I'm all about the form that the hammer creates, and would machine a piece if I wanted that look, or cuttlebone cast a piece if that were what I was after. I will often tumble things in shott that I want to be very shiny, but Itry not to spend that much time in front of a buffing machine.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Wow! I would really like to see the piece you trade this for when you find it--this is amazing work, and it would be interesting to see what your perception of equal value would be for it.....
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I will try to remember that and let you know. I don't know that it will be an objece as such though. I am wanting potential patrons to start thinking about value in terms that go beyond money. In the past I have traded jewelry for songwriting, and last summer I grew vegitables for a woman in exchange for a sewing machine. I don't know what will happen, but I must trust that I will know it when it happens.
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
You are so right. I try to get passed the wanting, and get on with the doing and being. At this point I have created most of the things that I really want, and the rest is mostly just wanting something to want, which can cause me to ignore what I have.
I think this piece is of great value to me, though I have consuiously tryed not to consider its value and concintrate on creating the trueist possible version of it. This all causes me to consider the question of what is of value to others, and also the questions of with whome I would like to trade, and even if I want to trade with an individule or a group. I made this maizer to get others to think about these matters, but I'm finding that it is also causing me to think about it too.
I learned a lot about myself making this thing. There were a lot of points that I stopped and waited for something to happen, never rushing, and in the end found that I have a lot more of a sort of careful patience than I had thought. I did tests and trial pieces, doing things over when needed, waited for a source for the right dentillium, waited to meet a basket weaver with the right cedar bark, and then taught her to make cordage in exchange for the material for the work.
I guess that in some way it is doing some of what artwork is supposed to do, making us think and feel and reflect.
Take care
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Absolutely--if your needs are clear enough, they usually get met. It's the "wants" that tend to get us into trouble...
Well, I hope you remember to post when the exchange occurs--this to me seems like a very valuable object (especially when you consider time and energy), so as I said--your perception of what is of equal value to it would be very interesting to find out...
👍: 0 ⏩: 0