Composition : 99.99% fine silver
Mintage : 6,000

The comforting glow of the moon

A full moon inspires awe and wonder in all those who gaze at it. Long before recorded history, cultures around the world were charting the moon's path across the night sky.Its perpetual waxing and waning, vanishing and reappearing, marked the passage of time-not clock time, but the cycles of life; the ebb and flow of the sea; the birth, maturation and migration of animals; the sprouting of new plants and the scattering of seeds.

Unlike the sun, the moon does not blaze its power upon the earth. It is subtle, more receptive and reflective. The moon brightens the darkness and is therefore a powerful guide or protector - and as the force that rules the tides, it is strongly linked to water.

The moon is a sacred symbol that appears in countless First Nationstraditions. These ancient cultures often carved masks to express the intimate relationship between the invisible forces above and the people, animals, plants, rocks and earth below.

To the Muscoday First Nations of Saskatchewan, the moon is their protective grandmother, matron of the earth. She is the one who pulls back the ocean tides to set the table and establish the mood. Richard Cochrane, a member of the Bear Clan and renowned Aboriginal artist, carved a wooden mask of Grandmother Moon smiling with the gentle knowing of agrandmother. Cochrane's great-grandmother was the sister of Robert Bear, second chief of his band when it was known as the John Smith Reserve. Carving the mask took two years. Says Cochrane, "You don't rush Grandmother."

MOON MASK - GRANDMOTHER MOON MASK - 2013 CANADIAN COINS is categorised COINS AND PAPER MONEY / 08- ROYAL CANADIAN MINT / 15- ART & CULTURE and sold by l'Imaginaire, a store and specialised website.