Frontlet Headdress

Item number 687/1 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Headdress with a frontlet of red painted wood inlaid around three edges with coppers and abalone. In the centre of frontlet is a human figure, elbows resting on knees with hands held up, palms outward; figure has inlaid abalone for eyes and teeth. Frontlet is attached to a white fur hat which, in turn, is attached to a long train (80 cm le) of off-white ermine skins, backed by red cotton. The ermine tails--the tips of which are dark brown--each have a red strip of cotton tied to them.

History Of Use

Among the Kwakwa̠ka̠’wakw, a frontlet or forehead mask like this is known as a pak̠iwe’. Its name changes to ya̠x̠wiwe’ (“dancing on the forehead”) when it is part of the full headdress — including a cylindrical crown with sea-lion whiskers at the top and an ermine-skin trailer — that is featured in the T’ła’sa̠la or Peace Dances (also known as the Dluwa̠lax̠a or Returned-from-Heaven Dances).

Iconographic Meaning

Coppers symbolized wealth and status.

Item History

Made by Beau Dick (Maker) in 'Yalis (Alert Bay), British Columbia, Canada during 1977
Owned by Potlatch Arts Ltd. before December 1, 1980
Received from Museum of Anthropology Shop Volunteers (Funding source) and Potlatch Arts Ltd. (Seller) on December 1, 1980

What

Name: Frontlet Headdress
Identification Number: 687/1
Type of Item: headdress
Material: wood, metal, paint, shell, ermine skin, cotton fibre and rabbit skin
Overall: height 20.5 cm, width 19.5 cm, depth 12.5 cm