Bear Clan Medicine Cup

Haudenosaunee bear clan wooden medicine cup

The Bear Clan Medicine Cup is inspired from the Norwegian carved wooden drinking vessel known as a kuksa. These type of cups are us made from a single piece of birch wood burl.

This cup was made from a single piece of birch wood branch which had fallen in the summer and carved to study the kuksa.

The Haudenosaunee artist took the inspiration from his culture of the Eastern Woodlands and used the Longhouse phratry the bear clan as the effigy to this cup. The bear clan are the keepers of the medicine and the artist often employs a foraging bear motif in his work.

This work has already inspired the artist to work on his new project, canoe cups or belts cups. These canoe cups were attached to the belts of early Eastern Woodlands travelers while navigating tributaries of the Northeastern woodland area. These canoe cups had effigies carved on the handles to promote good luck and safety on their travels.

The purpose of this cup was to incorporate the Haudenosaunee healing medicine into a formalized ritual accessory and offer a visual focal point for the healer. This can be used to gather a small amount of berries or herbs. Later, this can be utilized as a vessel to hold teas and tinctures. This was a fun project and more may be avaliable soon.

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