Headdress Item Number: 1-11389 from the The Burke: University of Washington
Exhibit Label
Very sensitive observation of the bird raven is apparent in the form of the mask's beak. It is as accurately rendered as an ornithologist's diagram and as expressive as an artist's impression. The Bella Coola artist has merged this naturalism with the sophisticated stylization typical of his people's art. Everywhere that ravens and humans come together the bird is perceived both as a mysterious being and as a reflection of the flawed characters of humans. Here the aggressive, cunning, boisterous raven merges, in the form of a headdress, with its human Bella Coola counterpart. (Holm, Spirit and Ancestor, 1987)
Automatically Generated From Material
The paint is blue, red, and black.
Item History
- Received from American Museum of Natural History
What
Who
- Culture
- Nuxalk
- Received from
- American Museum of Natural History
Where
- Holding Institution
- The Burke: University of Washington
Other
- Motif
- Raven
- Collection
- Burke Museum Ethnology Collection