Gorget – Turtle centered & Two Bears – Sterling Silver

Description

Indigenous Woodland peoples of the Americas have been making large pendants similar to the more modern gorgets since the “Mound Builder” cultures from 5000 years ago. Both copper and shell intricately designed gorgets have been in continuous use on Turtle Island.  Over the past 250ish years silver and copper gorgets have been worn as part of Eastern Woodland traditional dress with the crescent moon shape influenced by European military gorgets given to our Peoples at “treaty councils”.

This repoussé gorget was handmade by Paul René. It has a turtle in the middle and a bear on each side. Every turtle has 13 divisions on its back which represents the New Moons of the year becoming a calendar.  The Turtle also shows us North America with the legs Florida, Baja California, Alaska , the Gaspé and the tail for México. Around the design are symbols for medicine plants including the fiddle-head fern, the first plant that comes up in the spring, reminding us that new days are coming. These ferns curl inward representing canoes carrying trees [for families and Nations] and medicine plants [for healing]. These “canoes” encircle the gorget bringing prayers of healing to Turtle Island.  Also, the bears represent healing looking in at Turtle Island so the meaning this gorget design work is a wish for the continued healing of life on our continent.

Each piece of silver and copper work made by Paul René includes his signature trademark, a sunrise with a drum in it.

This gorget is 6″ across and 2″ at the center, the curve makes in 2.5″ total in height. White centered red and blue beads have been added along with metal beads and bone hair pipes.

Check out our other gorgets!