Eagle King Totem

The Haida carvings in argillite are some of the finest presentations of totemic art. These reproductions are well made from original work in Canada, made in a natural resin composite with the heft and finish of the originals. These museum quality reproductions of the older work are available in a range of styles that can be more casually displayed so that the art can be enjoyed on an everyday basis.

The reproductions are made by Boma, a Canadian company producing a range of collectibles and giftware.

The chess set is a reproduction of an argillite chess set in the Canadian Civilization Museum's Haida Gwaii collection. The set was carved by Christian M. White, a member of the Haida Nation, in 1997. In creating the set, he spent a great deal of time reflecting on how to portray the Haida culture within chess traditions. His inpiration came from the seven main figures of Haida mythology. As a game of chess has only six characters, the two Rooks were each assigned a different Haida figure, completing the Haida pantheon without affecting the strategy of the game. The artist chose his father's Eagle clan to represent the King and his mother's Raven clan to represent the Queen. The Bishop Frog, Orca (Killer Whale) Knight, Rook Bear, Rook Beaver and human form of the Watchman complete the set.

Raven

The most important of all creatures to the Northwest coast Indian peoples was the Raven. He took many forms to many peoples — the Transformer, the cultural hero, the trickster, the Big Man. Full of magical powers, the Raven could transform himself into anything. He put the sun in the sky, the fish in the sea, the salmon into the rivers. His antics were often motivated by greed, and he loved to tease, to cheat, to woo, and to trick. The raven is often portrayed in stylized form, with its distinctive feature, a sightly down-curved beak.

Eagle

The Eagle is not a supernatural figure as the raven, but as the largest and most powerful of the birds is used as a symbol of social position and prestige among the Indian peoples. Eagles are present in great numbers along the Pacific Northwest coast where the Indians live and fish. Eagle down, a symbol of peace and friendship, was sprinkled before guests in welcome dances and on other ceremonial occasions; eagle feathers were used in many rituals and worn on masks, headdresses and dance aprons. The eagle is often portrayed in stylized form, with its strongly hooked beak.

The Lovebirds

Haida and Tlingit Indians have two main clans, the Eagles and the Ravens. Traditionally, members of the same clan cannot marry, so marriages typically signify the joining of an eagle to a raven. Eagle and Raven, when linked together, are consequently known as the Lovebirds. The Lovebirds are a popular design for items such as bracelets and rings, given as gifts between couples of these clans.

Christian White was born in 1962 in Queen Charlotte City, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia) and grew up in Old Masset. He is from the Dadens Yahgulaanas Raven Clan and his Haida name is "Kilthguulans" (Voice of Gold). Carving since the age of 14, he has become well known for his work in argellite. Christian belongs to an extended family of practicing artists and cultural preservers, being taught by his father, Morris White and studying the works of his great-great grandfather, Charles Edenshaw.