Ancestor Mask
Availability: Only 1 available
Red Cedar wood, Human hair, Acrylic paint
9 x 7.5 x 5.25″ (mask only)
14 x 10.5 x 5.25″ (including hair)
The UBC’s Museum of Anthropology (MOA) has 4 HAISLA ZUX˚UM (housepost) collected by the Methodist missionary, Dr. G. H. Raley; stationed at KITAMAAT fr. 1893-1906. He collected them from an old HAISLA village site called, WAYIGIWA.MIA’S — used seasonally as a fishing site on GICH-LAA-LEES-LA (Kitimat River). The attributed creation date of all the ZUX˚UM is circa 1850.
All the ZUX˚UM are covered with a dark-brown substance that was probably once a clear, protective coating. It took ten days to examine — inch-by-inch — and draw accurate renderings of what three of the ZUX˚UM originally looked like. The carver’s original intention is hidden beneath dark coatings; which emphasizes their sculptural appearance, but hides the painted details that originally gave the ZUX˚UM a much more lively and colourful appearance.
Earlier NUGWA (I/me) carved a new, larger ZUX˚UM based on the original A17797 (MOA’s Coll. Number for it)). NUGWA called this new ZUX˚UM “Thunderbird” because the painted images on its cheeks are reminiscent of a thunderbird’s re-curved beak (although the image can be interpreted in other ways).
This GEE-GA-MEE (mask) is painted similarly to the old HAISLA ZUX˚UM. NUGWA learned from those old ZUX˚UM — so “ANCESTOR” seemed appropriate as its title.
Lyle Wilson 2024
CA$6,500.00
Only 1 available
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Red Cedar wood, Human hair, Acrylic paint
9 x 7.5 x 5.25″ (mask only)
14 x 10.5 x 5.25″ (including hair)
The UBC’s Museum of Anthropology (MOA) has 4 HAISLA ZUX˚UM (housepost) collected by the Methodist missionary, Dr. G. H. Raley; stationed at KITAMAAT fr. 1893-1906. He collected them from an old HAISLA village site called, WAYIGIWA.MIA’S — used seasonally as a fishing site on GICH-LAA-LEES-LA (Kitimat River). The attributed creation date of all the ZUX˚UM is circa 1850.
All the ZUX˚UM are covered with a dark-brown substance that was probably once a clear, protective coating. It took ten days to examine — inch-by-inch — and draw accurate renderings of what three of the ZUX˚UM originally looked like. The carver’s original intention is hidden beneath dark coatings; which emphasizes their sculptural appearance, but hides the painted details that originally gave the ZUX˚UM a much more lively and colourful appearance.
Earlier NUGWA (I/me) carved a new, larger ZUX˚UM based on the original A17797 (MOA’s Coll. Number for it)). NUGWA called this new ZUX˚UM “Thunderbird” because the painted images on its cheeks are reminiscent of a thunderbird’s re-curved beak (although the image can be interpreted in other ways).
This GEE-GA-MEE (mask) is painted similarly to the old HAISLA ZUX˚UM. NUGWA learned from those old ZUX˚UM — so “ANCESTOR” seemed appropriate as its title.
Lyle Wilson 2024