Kwigwis or eagle mask, yellow beak, blue patches around eyes, red outline mouth, black cotton head covering
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Kwikw

Eagle

Creator

Charlie James (attributed by Peter L. Macnair)

Catalogue Information

Materials

Wood, Cedar; Fibre, Cotton; Paint; Feather; Metal, Iron

Accession Number

80.01.016

Physical Description

Eagle mask made in a process where the head was carved, then split vertically along its length to facilitate hollowing and then fastened back together. The articulated lower jaw was then carved and fastened using seine twine. The beak is yellow with crescent-shaped nostrils in black with inner line of white. The lower jaw is also painted yellow, but with black dashes on the back. A red U form is painted on the temples but decorated differently on either side. Lips are red with white outline (the red is presently faded to the point where some might mistakenly assume the original colour was intended to be orange). The eye socket is painted green with darker green surrounding. The black eyelid line is painted, not carved. The inner eyelid is painted white. The eye is painted black with an eccentric pupil touching the circle of the iris. The eyebrows are added pieces which add to the ''brooding'' expression of the mask. Yellow, green, black, orange, red.