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Mask Geekumhl (80.47)
19th Century
(Kwakiutl)
Director's Comments Although always representative, the appearance of Northwest Coast masks can vary from near abstraction to almost startling realism. This one carefully balances both properties. The features are simplified and naturalistic. The individual represented is Dz’onokwa, a being who lived in the forest and prowled through villages at night seeking children to eat. Her insatiable quest is clearly indicated by the accentuated lips and sucked in cheeks. As Dz’onokwa was also “master of the wealth” this kind of mask was worn by clan chieftains when greeting rival chiefs at a feast and the copper eyebrows denote wealth.
Curator's Comments A Kwakiutl clan chief wore this mask when greeting rival chiefs invited for a feast and potlatch, a ceremony which reminded the guests of their host’s great riches and their indebtedness to his generosity. This Kwakiutl mask represents a mythic ogress of the forest, Dz’onokwa, who skulked through the villages at night to steal children to eat. She was also the “master of wealth,” represented by the copper of her eyebrows, and so an appropriate symbol for the ceremonial feast.
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