Frontlet

Item number 3260/68 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

Public

Item Records

This page shows all the information we have about this item. Both the institution that physically holds this item, and RRN members have contributed the knowledge on this page. You’re looking at the item record provided by the holding institution. If you scroll further down the page, you’ll see the information from RRN members, and can share your own knowledge too.

The RRN processes the information it receives from each institution to make it more readable and easier to search. If you’re doing in-depth research on this item, be sure to take a look at the Data Source tab to see the information exactly as it was provided by the institution.

These records are easy to share because each has a unique web address. You can copy and paste the location from your browser’s address bar into an email, word document, or chat message to share this item with others.

Data
Data Source

This information was automatically generated from data provided by MOA: University of British Columbia. It has been standardized to aid in finding and grouping information within the RRN. Accuracy and meaning should be verified from the Data Source tab.

Description

Carved and painted wooden frontlet with abalone inlay all around the sides and as eyes in the three faces. Roughly circular in shape; main, central face is a bird with a large beak projecting outward. Above is a small three-dimensional head projecting outward; there is another small round face below the beak. Each figure's eyes are abalone disks. A flat rim surrounds the whole frontlet, inlaid with numerous abalone pieces in various shapes, primarily rectangular or rounded squares. Many of the inlays have holes drilled through both sides. Brown plastic wire is tied at the back through four of the side holes; there are six holes drilled through on each side. (There is an epoxy resin filled area at the back, from an old repair).

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). Abalone shell has been inlaid as the eyes, and on the beak and corona; many of the pieces had holes drilled through them, indicating their possible previous use as ornaments sewn onto button blankets or other regalia.

Iconographic Meaning

This frontlet represents a raven, with small human faces above and below; the two expressive faces, together with the human-like characteristics of the bird itself -- heavy black eyebrows, red “lips” that define the beak -- hint at the supernatural raven’s ability to transform between human and avian form.

Narrative

Historically, marriages are known to have been arranged by the Kwakwaka’wakw in order to obtain prestigious ceremonial rights owned by the Heiltsuk. Although this pakiwe’ was probably carved by a Heiltsuk artist, as indicated by the shape of the eye orbs, cheek planes, and other central-coast characteristics of style, it has a history of ownership and use among the Kwakwaka’wakw people. There is a photograph taken in Alert Bay of Chief Thomas Hunt wearing this frontlet, attached to an ermine headdress. The frontlet is thought to have been owned at that time by his sister, Agnes (Hunt) Cranmer. There are four other chiefs in the photograph, which is presumed to have been taken at the raising of a memorial pole for Chief Mungo Martin in September 1970. The frontlet is thought to be of Heiltsuk origin.