Debby and I went to this museum before we went to South Carolina for Josh's graduation. It is a great museum. We didn't get to see all of the displays but the ones that we saw were really cool. The first display was about North Carolina furniture, textiles, and pottery. It was very fascinating and made Debby and I want to go and explore the areas where the pottery was made.
This quilt is one of the coolest that I have ever seen. It is a representation of a cotton boll. This is what the note next to the quilt says: "The combination of red and green for the cotton bolls is striking against the white background. The cotton boll pattern is based upon the ancient Greek anthemion, a popular architectural motif."
I remarked while we were at the museum that I know a lot more about the Navajo people than I do about the Cherokee. It is interesting being in North Carolina to learn about the Cherokee people and traditions and to know that is is a small part of my heritage. This is a sandstone carving which depicts the Cherokee story of creation. Here is what the sign says: "This sculpture tells the story of creation of the Cherokee people and the things they considered sacred. The turtle represents Mother Earth and the continent where we live. The owls are messengers from the great Spirit. They carry the message of death to remind people to get their lives in order before they die. The snake symbolizes Cherokee unity and power and is a warning to tread softly in Cherokee territory. The dogwood flowers stand for the beauty in each day. The old chief on the top has died, and the medicine man wearing the owl mask prays for his spirit to go to the place of peace. Feathers hang from the rear of the sculpture, and they represent the Cherokee nation and its thousands of years on the land. Cherokee warriors always wore their feathers hanging down to show membership in the Tsalagi tribe. At the top of the feathers is a round medallion. The circle and lines mark the four directions from which the Creator is called in prayer. At the base of the sculpture are two circles containing drawings that represent the ancestors who have passed. The medallion drawings originated from gorgets that are thousands of years old. One drawing is of the rattlesnake, which represents unity among all clans of the ancient Cherokee, and the other is of a woodpecker. Woodpeckers symbolized the bird clan. In the design, they are pointing in the four directions. A salamander, carved on the left side of the turtle, stands for the little creatures in the world. They are also important to creation.
This is a piece of pottery by a contemporary Cherokee artist. I thought that it was absolutely beautiful!
2 comments:
When you say a small part of your heritage you understand that Grandpa Ward was 1/8 Cherokee, right? That makes you kids 1/32.
whatever we're made of we're ALL really goodlooking, smart and energetic.
Thanks for sharing this Kris - this was a great place. I too enjoyed learning more about North Carolina. It is interesting to see how a place (and the geological realities of a place - in this case abundant clay) impact people and form culture.
Nice to have a very smart sister to explore the world with. I always enjoy spending time with you and love to brag about you to my friends and co-workers. Your name is usually, "my sister, Kristi who is really, really, smart, fun and interesting ..."
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