Large "Copper", authentic, hand carved native art by Trevor Hunt

• Nation: Kwakwaka' wakw art, Kwakiutl art, native artists Vancouver Island
• Artist: Hunt, Trevor
• Type: Wall panels and wall plaques

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Large "COPPER" wall art carving

What a fantastic piece of Art by well known Indigenous artist Trevor Hunt, a member of the Kwakiulth First Nations and from the worldwide known Hunt Family.

Solid, beautiful wood, depicting the "copper" which is so important for the First Nations. It's absolutely stunning quality, the face mask is superb, the carving and the painting on the piece just shows highest quality craftsmanship. Trevor signed and dated the piece at the back. Please have a look at the size of it !!!! The images don't do it justice. This is a very impressive and powerful piece of native art, hand carved, hand painted, I'm showing images from start to finish, 

Measurements: 34" tall, 23" wide, 10" deep - it's a massive piece

Meaning: The "Copper" was used by the First Nations people as a form of money and wealth. It was made out of "Native" copper which was found in the land where they lived, and superficially resembled a shield. Considered very rare and hard to obtain, raw copper was traded from the Athabaskan Indians in the Interior Plains, or from the white man in later times. Coppers were beaten into shape and usually painted or engraved with traditional designs. Most Coppers were fairly large, often 2 to 3 feet tall and a foot across. 

One of the most interesting aspects of the Copper is that they were given names so that their worth and heritage could be passed on. A Copper was only worth what it was last traded for, and it could only be traded for a larger amount the next time around. Consequently, some Copper values became highly valuable - worth the total of 1,500 to 2,000 blankets, a couple of war canoes and hundreds of boxes and bowls. No matter what the original value was the next person who wanted it had to trade more in exchange for it. Only the richest and most powerful could afford the price of an old Copper. Many Coppers were in rather shabby condition as a result of having been used in quarrels between Chiefs. To the Kwakiutl, the ownership and display of a Copper became an essential for the proper conduct of a marriage or important dance ritual. A man whose family's honour had been injured by the actions of remarks of another would publicly have a piece cut from a valuable Copper and give the piece to the offender. That person was obligated to cut or "break" a Copper in return. The broken pieces could be brought up and joined into a new Copper or used to replace pieces missing from a "broken" one. The most valuable Kwakiutl Coppers tend to be rough and patched since they have the longest history and have been broken the most often. Coppers that have been broken have a certain prestige value that is quite independent from their monetary value.

We guarantee the authenticity of every piece of art sold through our Gallery on this page!!! 

Each piece we show is the original and is the piece you’ll receive!

We do not offer “similar or different than image shown”, copies, reproductions, mass-produced, machine made or so called native-inspired/native-style knock-off pieces.

Note: Invoice in CAD, no overseas shipping available, USD amounts based on average weekly exchange rate, shipping within two business day.

Photos of This Piece

About This Artist

Trevor Hunt was born in 1975. He is a member of the great Hunt Family of Fort Rupert on Vancouver Island, BC. Trevor comes from a long line of hereditary carvers and artists that have been instrumental in the survival of the Kwaguilth art form....Artist bio and other available works »