galukwamł (Mask)

Crooked-beak mask.

Carved wooden, crooked beak mask. The beak has red ovoid shaped, cutout nostrils. Running from the brow is a large, protruding, central black frill that curves upwards and circles downwards to the top, tip of the beak; detailed with a wide red band with white curved incisions. Running from the bottom of the beak is a central black circular ridge that mirrors the one on top; detailed with red band and a black and white ovoid. The mouth is red, flat, wide and protruding. The bottom parts of the beak are hinged with rectangular pieces of rubber. The eyes are black, outlined in white and red on a white ovoid shaped ground; the brow is black. The inside of the mask is hollow with the exception of pieces of fibre cord with a piece of wood on the end; articulates the beak. Attached to the top is a wooden crest with red split u-forms on a white ground. The top and sides have small bundles of cedar tied with green twine. The mask is painted black, white and red with Northwest Coast stylized forms.