Mask Item Number: A3628 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Carved, wooden, raven mask with a long beak. The beak is hinged with leather twine on either side. The beak is painted black with a red mouth and nose. The eyes are outlined in black on a white, ovoid shaped background; brow is black. Attached to the top of the head is a braid of cedar. The back has cedar bundles tied to a wooded frame that sits on the wearers head. The inside of the mask is hollow with the exception of an attached twine cord that assisted the beak in opening and shutting. The mask is painted black, white and red with Northwest Coast stylized designs.
History Of Use
Worn by Hamats!a dancer.
Cultural Context
ceremonial
Iconographic Meaning
Represents Huxhukw of Heaven, Huxhugwaxtawe', one of the servants of Baxwbakwalanuxsiwe', cannibal at the north end of the world.
Item History
- Made in British Columbia, Canada before 1951
- Collected in Fort Rupert, British Columbia, Canada and Tsaxis, British Columbia, Canada
- Owned by Jonathan Hunt before November 1951
- Received from Jonathan Hunt (Seller) and H. R. MacMillan (Funding source) during November 1951
What
- Name
- Mask
- Identification Number
- A3628
- Type of Item
- mask
- Material
- paint, fibre, wood, cedar bark and leather skin
- Manufacturing Technique
- carved, painted and nailed
- Overall
- height 18.5 cm, width 18.7 cm, depth 78.8 cm
Who
- Culture
- Kwakwaka'wakw
- Previous Owner
- Jonathan Hunt
- Received from
- Jonathan Hunt (Seller) and H. R. MacMillan (Funding source)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- British Columbia, Canada
- Collected in
- Fort Rupert, British Columbia, Canada and Tsaxis, British Columbia, Canada
When
- Creation Date
- before 1951
- Ownership Date
- before November 1951
- Acquisition Date
- during November 1951
Other
- Condition
- fair
- Accession Number
- 1913/0021