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Description

Great Raven Hamsiwe’ mask. The large, carved, wooden mask has a long beak with large red, coil-shaped nostrils, with a red and white split u-form behind it. The mouth is red with two braided cedar handles on each side. The beak is black with large u-forms outlined in white along the edge of the mouth. The bottom part of the beak is hinged with large diamond shaped pieces of metal. The face has white split u-forms behind the eyes along with a white wing-like shape. The bulging eyes are black, outlined in white and red on a white ovoid shaped ground; brow is black. The underside of the beak is black with an ovoid shaped pink face with black brow, moustache and eyes along with red nostrils and mouth. Emerging from the top of the head is an elongated, protruding rounded section painted with white u-forms. The face is decorated with small cedar bundles; large cedar handles on bottom of beak. The inside of the mask is hollow with the exception of a piece of fibre twine that articulates the beak and two leather straps with metal buckles to hold the mask to the wearer. Attached at the top ridge is a dyed cedar rope and a rubber crest of u-shaped pieces painted red. The left side has a thick braid of cedar. The mask is painted black, white and red.

History Of Use

The Hi'hamsiwe' mask would be worn by a Hamatsa during a performance. The mask wearer was assisted by four other Hamatsa with blankened faces. The handles on the sides of the mouth were for them to help the dancer sit and rise during the performance. The Hamatsa continues to be the most important secret society during the Tseka, or "Red Cedar Bark Ceremonies".

Iconographic Meaning

Hi'hamsiwe' mask. Represents one of the supernatural man-eating birds that were the servants of the Man-Eater from the North End of the World, Baxwbakwalanuksiwe'. In many legends, Baxwbakwalanuksiwe' was killed by certain heroic ancestors, and his songs, dances and names then became their property. Amongst those privileges were the Hi'hamsiwe'--the masks representing the supernatural birds--which are treasured and held in the highest regard by the select Kwakwaka'wakw families who inherited the right to the Hamat'sa ceremonies today. All of the Hi'hamsiwe' are decorated with red cedar bark (pounded cedar bark dyed red), indicating their importance in the Hamat'sa. The privilege of the Hamat'sa and Hi'hamsiwe' came to the Kwakwaka'wakw from their northern neighbours, through marriage and warfare--mainly with the Wuikinuxv and Heiltsuk peoples, where these dance societies originated.

Cultural Context

The right to this Great Raven Hi'hamsiwe' mask was originally acquired through marriage around 1912 by hereditary chief 'Max̱waḵ̓uła̱la Johnny Scow (1872 - 1934), of the Ḵwiḵwa̱sut̓inux̱w people of Gwa’yasdams (Gilford Island), from his second wife, T̓łaḵweł. T̓łaḵweł was half Hiłdzakw (Heiltsuk) and half Mama̱liliḵa̱la (Village Island). It is often stated that Jack Scow (1913-1977) their only child, was bestowed with the Hamatsa from his mother. This mask is said to have been danced in Kingcome Inlet in 1937, during one of George Scow's potlatches. George was the younger brother of John Scow.

Narrative

Originally identified as the work of Mungo Martin, but several artists and curators now point out that its eye form, nostril shape, painted elements, and construction are not typical of Martin’s style at all (2005). According to Peter Macnair, the style is more like that of Tom Patch Wamiss (1999). In interviews with Kwakwaka'wakw artists Beau Dick, Don Svanvik, Bruce Alfred, Johnathan Henderson and Eugene Isaac, they all felt the mask was the work of Dick Hawkins, with the strong possibility that he may have collaborated on the mask with his close relative Tom Patch Wamiss.