Mask Item Number: A6360 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Carved wooden, crooked beak mask. The beak has large red, ovoid shaped nostrils outlined with white incised lines. Running from the brow is a large central black frill that protrudes outward and curves inward to the centre tip of the beak and back into itself. The mouth is red, flat and protruding. The bottom parts of the beak are hinged with rectangular pieces of rubber. The face is black with white detailing. The eyes are black, outlined in white and red on a white ovoid shaped ground; brow is black. The underside of the beak is black. The inside of the mask is hollow with the exception of a piece of fibre twine that articulates the beak. Attached to the top is a wooden crest with red split u-forms on a white ground. The top has many bundles of small stripes of cedar bark with a piece of eagle down is intertwined. Hanging from the back and bottom edges are long strips of cedar that would cover the wearer. The mask is painted black, white and red with Northwest Coast stylized forms.

History Of Use

Worn by Hamats!a dancer.

Iconographic Meaning

Represents Crooked Beak of Heaven, Galugwadzawe', one of the servants of Baxbakwalanuxsiwe', cannibal at the north end of the world.