Timeless Trickster

Materials used:

painted plaster cast of my face;
wood base, Montana;
iron balls, eastern Montana;
river rocks, Montana;
gravel, Wyoming;
seedpods, Montana;
pheasant feathers, Montana;
small wasp nest, from my garage, Montana.

(table mount)

“Timeless Trickster” is the epitome of Coyote Energy, revered in many Native American tribes. Coyote Trickster is ingenious, cunning, playful, full of shenanigans… able to dodge or scheme its way out of difficult situations, or ready with a practical joke to outwit an adversary. I respect the timeless nature of this trickster, and this mask always makes me smile.

There are many faceted components to the materials of this mask, and an honoring of the timeless or ancient aspect of earth’s geological substances. The most interesting material is the iron balls in the center of the piece. These geological oddities are called “Moqui Marbles.” They are iron-coated stones that litter the surface of iron-rich Navajo sandstone, and are found numerous places, including southern Utah and eastern Montana. Also called “Hopi Marbles” or “Shamans Stones,” it is believed that they formed 25 million years ago. In the Hopi language, the word “moqui” means “dearly departed one” and, to me, suggests the timelessness of life as we honor our ancestors. Found in the excavation of ancient ruins, some archaeologists believe shamans and other mystics have used the iron balls for centuries.

Other materials include gravel and stones, which also were birthed from the earth eons ago. To the upward headdress of “Timeless Trickster,” I have added pheasant feathers and one small wasp nest, thinking that the coyote trickster image is able to “shape shift” at will, changing to other forms to disguise itself. Perhaps this Trickster has the uncanny ability to appear as a coyote, or a bird, or an insect…or even an iron ball 25 million years old.

It certainly has the ability to make me smile.