Fish Mask Item Number: A6222 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Mask in the shape of a fish's head with incised curved gill-like lines on the cheeks, a pointed face, a movable jaw, and two copper thunderbird-like ears with curled tips on top of the head. A cedar bark fringe with a twisted cedar bark border and off-white feathers are attached at the top of the mask and extend down the back. The mask is painted a metallic grey with black eyebrows, white gill-like incisions, red nostrils and lips outlined in white, silver around the eyes with two dotted lines at the bottom of the eye sockets, and black and red designs on the ears.

History Of Use

Fish mother mask from the atłaamł series. (Possibly 'mother' of fish mask A6215 according to Joe Seaweed, 1966.)

Iconographic Meaning

Represents supernatural cod (C. George, 1966).

Item History

What

Name
Fish Mask
Identification Number
A6222
Type of Item
mask
Material
cedar wood, feather, copper metal, fibre, cedar bark and paint
Manufacturing Technique
carved, nailed, twisted and painted
Overall
height 29.2 cm, width 24.1 cm, depth 41.9 cm

Who

Culture
Kwakwaka'wakw
Creator
Joe Seaweed (Maker)
Previous Owner
Chief Edward Walkus
Received from
H. R. MacMillan (Funding source) and Chief Edward Walkus (Seller)

Where

Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
Made in
Blunden Harbour, British Columbia, Canada ? or Ba'as, British Columbia, Canada ?
Collected in
Smith Inlet, British Columbia, Canada and Takus, British Columbia, Canada

When

Creation Date
before 1953
Ownership Date
before September 25, 1953
Acquisition Date
on September 25, 1953

Other

Condition
fair
Current Location
Case 22
Accession Number
1975/0010