Transformation Maskdetails

The transformation mask is one of the most dramatic carvings of the Kwakwaka’wakw peoples. It depicts the inner and outer being. The dancer emerges from behind a dance screen with the mask in the closed position. As the dance proceeds, the dancer whirls about and the mask snaps open to reveal the inner being. This mask, carved from erd cedar, presents Raven on the outside. Bak’was, the wild man of the woods, appears within.