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• Kwakwaka’wakw artist
• Late 1800s
• Wood, red cedar, cedar bark, metal, nail, wire, paint, and leather
• Funds from Anne Evans and H. Douglas Bequest, 1937.170

This ceremonial mask represents Gwaxgwakwalanuksiwe’, the Raven at the north end of the world, which retrieves human prey for the cannibal giant Baxwbakwalanuksiwe’. The long beak, raised nostrils, and cedar bark fringe are characteristic of this type of mask. The Kwakwaka’wakw hold their ceremonies in two seasons: summer (baxus) and winter (tsetsequa). Hamat’sa dances are performed during the winter, a time when supernatural powers are particularly strong and new members are initiated into dance societies. Masks used in Hamat’sa dances represent the supernatural companions of Baxwbakwalanuksiwe’, the cannibal giant at “the north end of the world.” Donning these masks and performing the associated dances transforms both the wearer and the space of the clan house. Dancers become the beings themselves, and the clan house is transformed into Baxwbakwalanuksiwe’s house at the end of the world.