What were Haida masks used for?

What were Haida masks used for?

Part of Northwest Coast Hall. Masks were worn by members of secret societies who danced on ceremonial occasions. The dancers were believed to be possessed by various spirits such as the Wolf, Grizzly Bear, Fire-throwing spirit, Gambling spirit, and others.

What does the eagle mask represent?

The mask, presented as an eagle or thunderbird, was meant to portray an animal to human transformation.

Who wore a mask at the potlatch?

These masks were only one part of a costume that also included a cloak made of red cedar bark. During a potlatch, Kwakwaka’wakw dancers perform wearing the mask and costume.

What did the Kwakiutl use masks for?

Masks are highly valued by the Kwakiutl, serving as potent manifestations of ancestral spirits and supernatural beings and offering these supernatural entities temporary embodiment and communication through dance and other kinds of performance (Greenville 1998: 14).

Who would wear the transformation mask?

dancers
When the mask is closed, it turns into Raven. Transformation masks are physical manifestations of the concept of changing from one state of being to another. They are worn by costumed dancers, who open and close the beaks by pulling on strings attached to the sides of the mask.

Who made the whale transformation mask?

The impressive whale masks of the Kwakwaka’wakw peoples are grand constructions in which the mouth, fins, and tail of a sea mammal are made to move in imitation of a whale swimming.

What were Potlatches used for?

potlatch, ceremonial distribution of property and gifts to affirm or reaffirm social status, as uniquely institutionalized by the American Indians of the Northwest Pacific coast.

What is moon mask?

The features of a moon mask are often carved in such a way that the face appears flatter than is typical of other masks, reduced in prominence to suggest a face in the moon. The moon is responsible for controlling the tides. This moon mask shows the halo constructed from wood and is painted red.

When was the moon mask made?

Moon Mask ca. 1880 The mask’s surface has a dark, glossy patina.

What is an Olmec mask?

Olmec means ‘people from the rubber country’This Olmec mask was worn around the neck as a pendant. It may have provided the wearer with a new identity as an ancestor or deity – perhaps as the Olmec rain god. The distinctive toothless, down-turned mouth and infant-like face are typical of Olmec art.

Why did the Haida tribe wear a mask?

Haida masks. Part of Northwest Coast Hall. Masks were worn by members of secret societies who danced on ceremonial occasions. The dancers were believed to be possessed by various spirits such as the Wolf, Grizzly Bear, Fire-throwing spirit, Gambling spirit, and others. Haida masks sometimes represented one of these spirits;

When was the first Haida dance mask made?

Collected on Haida Gwaii in 1879 by Israel W. Powell. This dance mask dating from about 1860 has unusual red eyes, with peepholes beside each pupil rather than in the centre of them, lending a blank or neutral expression to the face. Red cedar bark and eagle down are still attached.

When did Israel W Powell create the Haida mask?

A complex transformation mask. Closed, the mask depicts a Whale with a seagull on its head. When the Whale’s face is opened, the dorsal fin and gull’s head both fold back to reveal the humanlike inner face. Copper eyebrows, lips and cheek decorations complete this mask. Collected on Haida Gwaii in 1879 by Israel W. Powell.

Where did the masks and headdresses come from?

The following First Nations masks and headdresses are mainly inspired by the Haida and Kwakiutl or Kwakwaka’wakw masking traditions from Haida Gwaii, Vancouver Island, and British Columbia’s West Coast. As well as being popular with art collectors, Northwest Coast masks continue to play an integral role in cultural and ceremonial practice.