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Spindle Whorl
Spindle Whorl
Spindle Whorl

Spindle Whorl

Artist Marvin Oliver
MediumWood, bronze, inlaid shell
Dimensions59 x 15 x 15 in. (149.9 x 38.1 x 38.1 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineSeattle City Light 1% for Art Portable Works Collection
This artwork is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional tool for spinning thread from wool.
 
Oliver, whose heritage is Quinault/Isleta-Pueblo, creates monumental works in cedar, bronze, cast glass and enameled steel--especially his totem poles and towering, stylized whale fins.  His works have been installed throughout the State of Washington and the United States, in Canada, and in Japan.  Oliver is professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington, serves as curator of contemporary Native American art at the University of Washington's Burke Museum, and holds a part-time post at the University of Alaska/Ketchikan.
A Salish Welcome
Marvin Oliver
2010
Spirit of Washington
Marvin Oliver
1991
Transition
Marvin Oliver
1988
Plateau Coyote
Lillian Pitt
1995
Bear
Marvin Oliver
1977
Midnight Rider
Marvin Oliver
2006
Sea & Sky
Marvin Oliver
2003
Raven/Eagle
Marvin Oliver
1977
Mystical Journey
Marvin Oliver
2005
Tradition & Beyond
Marvin Oliver
2015
Drop of Life
Oliver Hess
2017