New Lead Crystal Totems

Lead Crystal Totems by Singletary

Recently Preston Singletary completed new totems cast in lead crystal. These limited edition totems are each cast in various colors and reflect a different story while featuring Singletary’s distinctive formline design.

Two Ravens

This new totem represents the coming together of my Tlingit culture and my wife’s Swedish culture. It’s a sculpture that represents the blending of our lives together with our children. The top figure represents Åsa, my wife, and directly below her is Odin, the Norse god flanked by two ravens at the front of a Swedish style long boat.

In Tlingit culture it would have been a dugout canoe. Below Odin is our daughter Lydia's face and below her our son Orlo. He is holding our puppy, Ori, represented as a wolf in this sculpture. Åsa and I have been married for over 25 years and our symbiotic relationship has fueled my creative inspiration.

Odin is considered one of the Norse gods, and the equivalent I am proposing is that he is like a Shaman from our culture. Odin is usually depicted with two Ravens by his side. Raven is a prominent figure in Tlingit art and culture. I depicted Odin here as a guiding and protecting spirit like a Shaman from the Tlingit culture.

David Svenson is the carver of the wood form and one of my original mentors. I conceptualized and designed this sculpture with Svenson, and we collaborated to make this story come to life.

Transforming Killer Whale

This piece represents a story from the Nuu Chah Nulth tribe. It’s a supernatural white wolf that transforms into a Killer Whale. The wolf gives power to a man by transforming in front of him. The details of each animal morph together in the midst of transforming while the shaman face emerges from top center in between the tail flukes. The original wood model totem was carved by Joe David.