Paper Sculpture: Medicine Wheel with Feathers

Entirely made of paper the “Medicine Wheel with Feathers,” by Patty Eckman (Non-Native American), is a limited edition cast paper sculpture that depicts the sacred object with cloth twists and eagle feathers dangling from the medicine wheel wrapped in porcupine quills.

The medicine wheel, or sacred hoop, is a strong and familiar symbol of the Northern Plains Indian culture. The circle represents the immediate universe, i.e., the family circle, friends and extended family or tiospaye, the world around them and the cycles of life such as the seasons and the stages of life. The cross in the center represents the sacred number four. It symbolizes the four cardinal directions, the four winds, the four stages of life, the four seasons, etc.

All measurements are approximate.