Images(3)

Huxwhukw'iwe' (mask of the Huxwhukw)

Dateca. 1938

Maker Willie Seaweed (Hilamas) Kwakwaka'wakw, 'Nak'waxda'xw, Blunden Harbour, 1873 - 1967

Label TextA masterful representation of the skull-crushing, man-eating Huxwhukw, Seaweed imparts carved and painted elements that work in harmony to create a sense of fluid movement, much like the high-stepping, swaying dance of the Cannibal Birds. Known for his dramatic flair, Seaweed places a curved-beak face below the lower jaw of Huxwhukw, which would have been visible as the dancer thrust the beak upward.

Object number91.1.2

ProvenanceMicheal R. Johnson, Seattle, Washington, until 1973; John H. Hauberg, Seattle, Washington, 1973-1991; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington

Exhibition HistoryPacific Science Center, Seattle, Washington, Smoky-Top: The Art and Times of Willie Seaweed, September 1983 - February 1984Published ReferencesHolm, Bill, Smoky-Top: The Art and Times of Willie Seaweed, Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 1983, fig. 61. Selected Works, Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1991, p. 69 The Spirit Within: Northwest Coast Native Art from the John H. Hauberg Collection, Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1995, p. 206

Credit LineGift of John H. Hauberg

Dimensions9 1/2 x 16 1/8 in. (24.13 x 40.96 cm) L.: 63 3/4 in.

MediumRed cedar, red cedar bark, paint, eagle feathers, leather, cord