A FINE KWAKIUTL WOOD FACE MASK, Dzunuk'wa

Property of A SOUTHWEST COLLECTOR

Details

A FINE KWAKIUTL WOOD FACE MASK, Dzunuk'wa
Of oval form, with pursed mouth, lips extended outwards, defined concave cheeks, hooked nose and exaggerated nostrils, recessed perforated eyeholes set deeply below arched brows, protruding forehead, hair secured with string at back, face covered in black pigment with red cheeks, lips and surrounding eyes; pierced twice at the each side for attachment, remains of rawhide twine at back
13½in. (34.2cm.) high

Provenance

Acquired by Edward Malin from Mrs. James Knox at Fort Rupert in 1948. Collected by Edward Malin in 1948 and acquired by the present owner in 1951. Malin is a cultural anthropologist who specializes in Northwest Coast art and has published basic references on Northwest Coast art including: Indian Art of the North West Coast (1962 with Norman Feder), A World of Art of Northwest Coast (1978) and Totem Poles (1986). He is currently completing a study of painted housefronts and interior screens.

Exhibited

The Art Gallery, UCLA, 1972.

Lot Essay

Such masks which represent the Wild Woman of the Woods were primarily made by the Kwakiutl. The wild woman of the woods is an important figure among the Kwakiutl. Said to be of gigantic proportions, she would lure chidren away from their villages, bring them to her home and transform them into Dzunuk'wa. As here, they all show exaggerated features, pursed lips, sunken cheeks and overhanging brows. Levi-Strauss (1982 chapter 4, 5) publishes a number of examples that compare well to this one.