Exhibit Label

During the course of the great Nootka ceremonial, Klookwana (which roughly corresponds to the Kwakwaka'wakw Tseyka) masks of certain birds and animals are worn. One of these is the raven mask, and it is likely that this one was so used. The mask is very simple in form, with an articualted jaw and a crest of bald eagle feathers attached to the top of the head. The mask sits on the head, leaving the dancer's face exposed, but in the shadows of the firelit dance house, the strong silhouette of the raven's beak is remarkably realistic. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)