Wide open jaws suggest a tribute to the hyena, said to possess enormous knowledge about the bush and its secrets. Being a nocturnal creature that lives in holes in the earth, the hyena is credited with an exceptional ability to smell and to see what is coming next. Kono performances are best known for their songs, which are delivered through a reed pipe to imitate the voice of conscience and point out the path of proper behavior.
Wood and pigment
11 x 15 3/8 x 38 5/8 in. (27.9 x 39 x 98.1 cm)
Gift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company
81.17.17
Provenance: Collection of Wayne Long, Los Angeles, California; sold to Katherine White (1929-1980), Seattle, Washington, 1975; bequeathed to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 1981
Now on view at the
Seattle Art Museum
Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.
