Mask

Item number 1994.241 from the MAA: University of Cambridge.

Public

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Data
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Description

A cedar mask carved by George Pennier called Mother Earth Looking at the Universe.. The mask has heavy black eyebrows, pierced eyes rimmed with black and red, red nostrils and an open red lipped mouth. The majority of the face is painted with white and blue, representing the sky and stars. The upper rim of the mask has a row of white goose feathers. The inside of the mask is smoothed, and signed by the artist. The mask was carved by a Coast Salish artist, George Pennier, a resident of Chilliwack, B.C. The style of the mask is Northern rather than Coast Salish, attributed to the fact some artists carve in styles that are not necessarily their own tribal group. The mask is an expression of the artist' s own place within the universe, and was inspired by looking out at the night sky in Chilliwack. Carved in a traditional style the subject matter is very personal, concerning identity and the place of the individual within the world. The mask also references the concern for the environment, Mother Earth exhibited by many First Nations artists, and is an aspect of a Pan-Indian culture which is becoming more prevalent in North America. The mask was bought directly from the artist. Excellent

Context

Exhibited: Displayed in Living Traditions , CUMAA, from January 1995; Collected by: Crowther.Gillian in - 1 1994; George Pennier is from Chehalis, B.C. (Jody Felix RRN comment 1 June 2010)