Mask Item Number: Ig413 a-g from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

A large deep brown wood mask (part a). The circular brown wood pupil of the eyes are outlined with a black swirl and surrounded by a piece of white shell for the sclera of the eye. Along the prominent forehead, there is a horizontal row of eight white shells. Through the large nose, there is a tapering cylindrical white object (part b) that has four black vertical bands around either end. Dangling from the nose, there is a flat circular crescent-shaped shell that has a grey sheen. The tear-drop-shaped ears have a circular ornament on their lobes that is white all around with a sheened shell centre. The prominent rounded wood headdress has a flat white circular disc piece at the centre front with an intricately designed perforated turtle shell piece on top. On top of the headdress, there is a flat triangular brown wood projection decorated with shell inlay in a geometric pattern. A flat crescent-shaped shell (part c) is attached at either back side end of the mask with black cord. The crescent-shaped shell (part c) has a pearl-like sheen and is decorated on the front with a black outline of a bird form at either top end and a dark bird form in the middle with a black outline all around the shell. A dark brown cord (part d) is attached to the crescent-shaped shell (part c) through a flat tear-drop-shaped shell piece that has two holes, a thin brown wood human figure, and a white shell decorated with a vertical line of horizontal fish along the middle front. Six white, brown-black, and orange-brown beaded strands (part e) are attached at either back side end of the mask. A light brown basketry bag (part f) that comes to a point at the bottom has, along its rim, brown braided cord strands that attach to the bottom of the mask with a metal hook (part g).