Mask worn on back of ceremonial dancer
The Kwakwaka’wakw mechanical mask is a colorful and eccentric head ornament that is worn during ritual performances. The artifact was found in Cape Mudge, Vancouver Island, British Columbia from the early 20th century.
The mask is thought to resemble the sea monster Namxilagiyu, and is worn by ceremonial dancers at Kwakwaka’wakw potlatches. The mask isn’t simply one large mold, but is made of various components that allow the different parts of the mask to be manipulated and moved around during ritual performances.
The Kwakwaka’wakw placed great emphasis on cultural rituals. This mask is very intricate and the mechanical portions of the mask must have taken a very long time to build. The movable pieces of this mask couldn’t have been simple to create, and the fact that this mask doesn’t seem to have a functional use in the day to day lives of the natives shows that this was solely created for traditional dances. The great amount of time and effort put into these works indicate that rituals are very important to the Kwakwaka’wakw people.
This nation was also very respectful of nature, as shown by the reverence that animals are given in their spiritual practices and beliefs. Also, much of the cultural paraphernalia often resembles animals and contains parts of animals. Much of this mask in particular was formed from pieces from nature such as wood, paint, fur, and cordage to tie the different pieces together.
