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Longer Description

Raven transformation mask carved as a bird when closed and a human face surrounded by dogfish and crest designs when open. When closed, the two sides of the mask come together to form the head of a raven. The beak comprises most of the head and is painted black with a thin red section along the bottom. It is made of two halves that open to either side. Where the beak comes together, there are tufts of snowy owl feathers. Two eyes are orientated vertically toward the back of the head and are carved in concave hollows that are unpainted. The eyes themselves are outlined in black paint, with the white of the eye painted white and the pupil painted black. There is a round wooden flap above the head and a round wooden flat below the head. These are articulated and allow the mask to open up and down (in addition the beak opening right and left). When the mask is closed, these flaps are partially disguised by large tufts of snowy owl feathers. There is a wooden, irregularly-shaped ring set flush against the back of the mask. Lengths of textile, most probably recycled flour sacks, have been tied and bound around the ring, possibly to allow the mask to be worn on the head. Various strings used as rigging also attached to this ring. On either side of the mask is a section of wooden dowelling, painted red, with snowy owl feathers around the top, and attached to the mask by string that runs from the side of the mask, through perforations in the dowels, to a single piece of wood. A third, long, red piece of wood topped with snowy owl feathers sits on top of the wooden ring in the back of the mask and has a string running from it to the block of wood. Presumably, when the block of wood is pulled, these piece on the top of the mask stands up or lies down, and the dowels on the side change position. There are two smaller lengths of wood, painted red topped with snowy owl feathers that are on either side of the wooden flap on the top of the mask, but these appear to be stationary. When the wooden flap on the top of the mask is open, it reveals an inner lining of linen, flour sack, paper or possibly animal skin, that has been sewn onto the wooden flap. The lining is decorated with crest designs, most notably shark designs in the centre top and bottom. At the bottom of the mask, on either side, the lining is affixed to what appear to be recycled book covers. The lining frames a carved wooden human face that appears in the centre of the open mask. The face is painted with two red stripes that extend horizontally from the forehead, across the proper right eye, and proper right cheek. There are three vertical stripes that extend from the proper left eye down the proper left cheek. The nose and a section of the left cheek are painted green. The mouth is outlined in red and the right half of the forehead appears to have been smudged with a darker green pigment. The eyebrows are painted black, as are the pupils. With the mask open, rigging is visible coming through the shark design in the top and entering into the forehead of the human face. Rigging comes out of each of the human's eyes, crosses over the nose, and goes around the sides of the mask. Rigging also comes out of the human's mouth and passes through the bottom shark design. [CAK 08/04/2010]
Mask, articulated. Shows Raven when closed, carved human face when open, with dogfish designs visible. The white feathers attached to the mask appear significantly similar to those on masks 1891.49.7 and 1891.49.8, which have been tentatively identified as being from a snowy owl. The mask contains several recycled elements such as the use of what appears to be a cardboard book sleeve on the proper right side articulated section and flour sacks used for some of the textile elements. [HR 8/2/2007]

Description

Raven transformation mask carved as a bird when closed and a human face surrounded by dogfish and crest designs when open. [CAK 08/04/2010]

Related Collections

Similar mask in Royal British Columbia Museum, catalogue number 1420.

Display History

Displayed in case C.4.A (number 60) prior to removal for building work in December 2004. [HR 8/2/2007]

Research Notes

The following information comes from Haida delegates who worked with the museum's collection in September 2009 as part of the project “Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge”:
This mask was viewed alongside other masks on Thursday Sept 10, 2009. One suggestion about this mask was that it reflected the two-headed raven story. Delegates were interested in the materials used to make the mask. The frame was identified as cedar by Christian White, with whale baleen around it. He thought the mask was carved from red cedar, with the inner part of the mask being made from alder wood. The fabric was thought to be made from flour sacks or possibly linen or shark skin. The fabric was considered too fine to be canvas. Some delegates also initially thought it might be paper. Diane Brown was impressed by the ingenuity of her ancestors to use covers from books. She also identified the feathers as coming from the white snowy owl, sah kunhlaay in Skidegate Haida. It was noted that snowy owls are rare on Haida Gwaii, coming to the islands only once or twice a year. [Cara Krmpotich note: regarding another mask, Christian White estimated the frequency of snowy owls on Haida Gwaii to be one every six years.]
In terms of how it would be worn and danced, delegates commented that the wearer would bite onto it to hold it to their face. There is a pull for the dancer to operate, allowing the dancer to open the sides, top and bottom of the mask. Gwaai Edenshaw noted that one pull would operate all the parts; that all the strings would come together. The straps made from flour sacking would have been tied around the dancers shoulders. Christian White thought the red wooden sticks would attach around the edges of the wooden circle. It was believed by delegates that this mask was made to dance and had a number of “fancy” functions. Jason Alsop thought it had “great functionality”.
Delegates also commented on the eyes of the mask. Some suggested the eyes are angry; others that they were unusual. Candace Weir extrapolated from their positioning that the mask would have been worn so it looked down or looked up, but that it would not be worn straight on.
Lucille Bell observed that the raven of this mask has a short beak and that this is a Massett trait.
A discussion of this mask can be viewed on Tape 2, at time 28:00 until approximately 35:00, which can be found in the Haida Project Related Documents File. Delegates speculate on the clan affiliation of the mask. Gwaai Edenshaw proposes that it could be Raven because of a shark crest on the inside. Others clarify that there are Eagle clans in Skidegate who also have use of a shark crest, and Christian White points out that the raven is an Eagle crest. [CAK 08/04/2010]

Harrison MS, PRM manuscripts and photographs dept, p23: '...there is another Raven mask. This one has a representation of the Raven at work creating man and woman out of heaps of clam shells. The head is made quite of different style from the ordinary masks. It is made so as to open the Raven's beak as though he were issuing orders to his clam made slaves to look well after the preservation of the Haidas. The last two masks are worn by the doctors when preaching about the creation of Haida land.' [from research by PRM intern Barbara Bartl, 2003]
Very similar mask in RBCM (see http://obj.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca, cat. number 1420), collected by C F Newcombe at Masset, 1911. Includes similar dogfish motifs. [research by Barbara Bartl, PRM intern, 2003].
The figures surrounding the human face on PRM 1891.49.9 represent dogfish, characterized by gills, a conical head shape, and a down curved mouth. [research by Barbara Bartl, PRM intern, 2003]

Publications History

Reproduced in black and white as figures 5a (closed) and 5b (open) on page 6 of 'Haida Art in the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, and the Rev. Charles Harrison', by June Bedford, in European Review of Native American Studies, Vol. XII, no. 2 (1998), pp. 1-10. Caption reads: 'Marten skin mask'. [JC 16 4 1999]

Discussed by Charles Harrison on p. 87 of his Ancient Warriors of the North Pacific (London: H.F. and G. Witherby, 1925): ‘Another mask...represents the raven with a human head and strings attached by which the lips could be opened at will, doubtless when oracular statements were made by the wearer.' NB This description was previously mistakenly recorded as applying to PRM 1891.49.1. [JC 15 5 2003]

Primary Documentation

Accession book entry: 'From Rev. Ch. Harrison, 80 Halton Rd, Canonbury Sq. N. Collection of Haida objects collected by him.... - Large Mask = Raven as 'Creator'. £45. [Purchase price includes 1891.49.1-110]

No additional information on catalogue cards. [JC 4 9 1996]

Pitt Rivers Museum Display label - British Columbia, Queen Charlotte Islands, Haida Indians. Large mask with moveable parts used in the "ghost dances" representing the raven as Creator. It is caused to open and shut by means of string. [JC 15 5 2003]

Related Documents File - Correspondence between Jeremy Coote and June Bedford occurring in April 1999 regarding some confusion over this mask and several others. [MOB 25/9/2001]

Related Documents File - A discussion of what clan this mask may belong to can be viewed on Tape 2, time 28:00 - 35:00, within the Haida Project Related Documents File. The Haida Project Related Documents File contains video of research sessions and interviews with Haida delegates from September 2009 as part of the project ‘Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge'. It also includes post-visit communications that discuss object provenance. For extensive photographic, video, and textual records documenting the Haida research visit as a whole, including but not limited to preparations of objects for handling, travel logistics, British Museum participation, transcribed notes from research sessions and associated public events held at PRM, see the Haida Project Digital Archive, stored with the Accessions Registers. Original hand-written notes taken during research sessions have been accessioned into the Manuscripts collection, in addition to select other materials. [CAK 02/06/2010]