Staff of the First Shaman (detail)

Inspired by myths, legends and other tales, Carol Eckert creates compelling sculptural narratives using an ancient basketry technique known as coiling. Eckert’s visual stories are populated with a menagerie of animals both real and mythical, such as the birds and crocodiles in Staff of the First Shaman. The creatures themselves are constructed of a thin copper wire wrapped (or “coiled”) with cotton embroidery floss.