Mask of Ahlxula'tanum

ca. 1880

Alxula’tanum is a being who announces the arrival of Thunder, an important figure in Nuxalk mythology and central to the kusiut dance performances. The prominent diagonal painting might reference his association with thunder and storms.

Alder, cedar bark, paint

13 5/8 x 9 5/8 x 6 in. (34.61 x 24.45 x 15.24 cm)

Gift of John H. Hauberg

91.1.33

Provenance: [Park Lane Antiques, Vancouver, British Columbia], in 1963; John H. Hauberg, Seattle, Washington, 1969-1991; Howard Roloff, Victoria, British Columbia, 1984-*; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington *See JH26

Photo: Paul Macapia

Now on view at the Seattle Art Museum

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, The Box of Daylight, September 15, 1983 - January 8, 1984

Published ReferencesThe Spirit Within: Northwest Coast Native Art from the John H. Hauberg Collection, Seattle Art Museum, 1995, pg. 184

Holm, Bill, Box of Daylight: Northwest Coast Indian Art, Seattle Art Museum, University of Washington Press, 1983, no. 40, p. 39, illus.

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