Wolf Among Sheep

Wolf Among Sheep

Ballhead warclub Cattaraugs Maple wood, Brass upholstery tacks, leather lashing

Billy Logan, Onondaga, Turtle clan

The Wolf Among Sheep is a Native American ballhead warclub completed as a contemporary art piece by Native American artist Billy Logan and is available for purchase.

The wolf is one clan of the Haudenosaunee people, but many other indigenous cultures have revered and even worshiped the wolf for its family or pack social structure.

Symbolically, the wolf is the “pathfinder” known to navigate their terrain in search of food. Their social structure is hierarchical and every member has an important role to play. Wolves are also known for their ability to communicate with each other and the howl of the wolf can conjure up lonely or fearful imagery if we are in a vulnerable situation. Furthermore, loyalty to the pack are attributes that we all seek from any group and maybe the reason sports teams use wolf names when taking a mascot.

This warclub was harvested from a naturally fallen tree on the Cattaraugus indian reservation in Irving, NY. The branch junction (where the branch deviates from the trunk) is used for its tough grain structure.

The warclub was shaped into the general design. Further details were added by handcarving, then more detailing was added via pyrography.

Hand made organic stain and paste wax were used as the finish and a light polyurethane clearcoat sealed the warclub.

Brass upholstery tacks were placed on the handle and my signature leather lashing was the last accessory.,