Head Ring Frontlet Item Number: A8391 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Cedar bark head ring with a carved frontlet of a sun figure in high relief. Frontlet has a broad white face, heavy black eyebrows, a green band painted across the eyes, and is encircled by a green ring; alternating squares of abalone shell and mirror are set into the green ring around the face. Cedar bark head ring is lined with cloth and features three large squares of abalone shell fastened to the outside at evenly spaced intervals.
History Of Use
Among the Kwakwa̠ka̠’wakw, a frontlet or forehead mask like this is known as a pak̠iwe’. Its name changes to ya̠x̠wiwe’ (“dancing on the forehead”) when it is part of the full headdress — including a cylindrical crown with sea-lion whiskers at the top and an ermine-skin trailer — that is featured in the T’ła’sa̠la or Peace Dances (also known as the Dluwa̠lax̠a or Returned-from-Heaven Dances).
Iconographic Meaning
Identified as a sun because of the surrounding shell inlay. Attribution by (Mrs.?) D. Hawkins, 1966.
Item History
- Made in British Columbia, Canada
- Collected in Fort Rupert, British Columbia, Canada and Tsaxis, British Columbia, Canada between 1870 and 1940
- Owned by Cadwallader Family
- Owned by Canadian Cabin Crafts before June 1963
- Received from Canadian Cabin Crafts (Seller) and H. R. MacMillan (Funding source) during June 1963
What
- Name
- Head Ring Frontlet
- Identification Number
- A8391
- Type of Item
- frontlet
- Material
- paint, wood, cedar bark, silver alloy metal ?, glass, cotton fibre, abalone shell and dye
- Manufacturing Technique
- carved, inlaid, woven, sewn and painted
- Overall
- height 19.0 cm, width 25.0 cm, depth 24.0 cm
Who
- Culture
- Kwakwaka'wakw
- Previous Owner
- Cadwallader Family and Canadian Cabin Crafts
- Received from
- Canadian Cabin Crafts (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
- Collection Date
- between 1870 and 1940
- Ownership Date
- before June 1963
- Acquisition Date
- during June 1963
Other
- Condition
- fair
- Current Location
- Case 38
- Accession Number
- 0101/0004