The paint is red, black, and blue.

The paint is green, black, and red.

The paint is green, black, and red.

Two pieces of mountain goat horn have been joined with a single copper rivet to form this old spoon. The figures carved on the handle appear to be a killer whale with a man's face on the dorsal fin, a raven, and a bear. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)

To residents of the Northwest Coast, and particularly those in the habit of travelling the waterways of the area in small boats, no native creature is more impressive than the killer whale. It is small wonder that native mythology and art are full of references to him. This killer whale back mask has the ability of transforming itself from a single- to a double-finned creature by the manipulation of strings located inside the mask. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)

This mask was one of a set of six purchased by Sidney Gerber from its native owner in Blunden Harbor, B. C. It has been repainted white over an older painting and has black eyes, eyebrows, and mustache, with traces of red around the nostrils. Masks were often repainted, either to brighten them up after use had dulled the colors or to change the character of the mask, as appears to be the case here. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)