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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This is a 6 page paper discussing the man eating bird “Hokhokw” mask of the Kwakiutl Indians as displayed at the American Museum of Natural History. The mask was used in potlatch and secret ceremonies of the Kwakiutl and is an excellent example of the transformational masks of that time as the hinged beak opens and is used to snap during the dance rituals. Comparison to the Tlingit Shaman’s mask is made.
Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Page Count:
6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_TJKmask1.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
They were heavily ritualized and spiritualized and their ceremonies called potlatch, involved transformations of humans into animals and vice versa. These transformations were made more realistic and dramatic by the
use of transformational masks. The transformational masks were highly sophisticated in their appearance and design. While many of the masks consisted of human faces on the outside and would opened
to reveal the animal transformation face on the inside, a more unique combination can be found in the Kwakiutl ceremonial dance mask of the man eating bird, the "Hokhokw". This
mask consists of a large bird head on the outside beautifully painted in black, red and white and its beak opens during the ceremony and snaps closed viciously during the
dance. Not only are the Kwakiutl transformation masks unique in their hinged design, but they are also quite different from the masks of their neighbouring tribes of the Tlingit for
instance. The Kwakiutl ceremonial dance mask housed in the American Museum of Natural History was used traditionally in winter ceremonies and represents the "Hokhokw", or man eating bird. The mask
which is displayed in the museum is estimated to have been made in the late 19th century. The long beak of the mask is hinged and when opened revealing the
wings of the bird and during the ceremony, the dancers snap the beak closed with a loud clap (Kwakiutl Ceremonial Dance Mask, 2002; Zeaman, 1991/Oct.). The true story of the
Kwakiult masks were revealed to the curator, Aldona Jonaitis, an expert on Kwakiutl culture at the Museum of Natural History in 1990 when setting up the exhibit of Kwakiutl art.
As it is no longer acceptable for white curators to have an exhibit of a culture that still exists, Jonaitis invited ten Kwakiutl Indians from British Columbia to help organize
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