Mask Item Number: 25.0/229 from the The Burke: University of Washington
Exhibit Label
To residents of the Northwest Coast, and particularly those in the habit of travelling the waterways of the area in small boats, no native creature is more impressive than the killer whale. It is small wonder that native mythology and art are full of references to him. This killer whale back mask has the ability of transforming itself from a single- to a double-finned creature by the manipulation of strings located inside the mask. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)
Automatically Generated From Material
The paint is black, white, red, blue, and green.
Item History
- Received from Mrs. Anne Gerber
What
Who
- Culture
- Kwakwaka'wakw
- Received from
- Mrs. Anne Gerber
Where
- Holding Institution
- The Burke: University of Washington
Other
- Credit
- Sidney Gerber Collection, Gift of Anne Gerber
- Motif
- Whale
- Collection
- Burke Museum Ethnology Collection