Cannibal Spirit Puppet

Item number 3217/1 a-b from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Olala. Large, painted, wooden puppet. The head is removable (part b). Legs (from torso to knees) are painted leather; upper body, arms, feet and head are painted wood. Fur additions at knees, wrists, sides and eyebrows. Long, full hair attachments on the head are tied together at the back (approx. 42 x 18 cm).

Cultural Context

According to Margaret Blackman, Thompson started making Haida-inspired puppets in the mid-1980s, based on a piece in the Smithsonian collection, a 19th century headdress representing a corpse (see Bodies of Enchantment, Levell, p. 67.)