Sidney Gerber purchased this owl mask from Willie Seaweed shortly after it had been photographed, worn by Joe Seaweed, in the film Dances of the Kwakiutl (Orbit Films 1951). As seen on the museum wall the round bulging eyes set in flaring blue-green sockets and the fierce hooked beak dramatically express the character of the nocturnal bird of prey. When it is worn in the dance, the bird gains life. The mask is bold in its conception and execution. Made perhaps fifty years ago by George Walkus of Smith Inlet, it represents the artist's style at its most expressive. The painting in black, red, green, and white follows the carved features and elaborates the cheeks in typical Kwakiutl fashion. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)

The paint is black and white.

The paint is black.

Decorated cradles like this one were used only by nobility, and the designs were probably valued family crests. This design represents a whale on the long sides and a copper on the back of the headboard. The whole surface is carved in low relief and painted in black, orange, yellow, red, white, and green on a blue ground. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)

Worn by participants in the Tseyka, these neck ring ornaments in the Burke Museum collection consist of a set of three carved and painted wooden plaques, representing the tail and flippers of a whale. There may have been a fourth piece representing the whale's head in the set. They were probably sewn to a rope-like ring of dyed cedar bark, perhaps 18 cm in diameter, which could be conceived of as the body of the whale. The bifurcate tail with a humanoid face for the joint hangs down the back of the wearer, while the two similarly decorated flippers stand out to the sides of the chest. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)

Collected from Willie Seaweed and made by him for his wife, who owned the prerogative, this "Calling Down" mouth shows the workmanship associated with the work of that artist. The "mouth" was held in the teeth of the owner. It was called heygukhsti and gave the owner the privilege of publicly "calling down" or critically derogating people. No offense could be taken at these comments. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)

The copper theme is a favorite with Kwakwaka'wakw artists. Representations of coppers are used as grave monuments, housefront paintings, and other objects, including button blankets. The button blanket is the traditional ceremonial blanket of the Kwakwaka'wakw. The general form is fairly uniform, with variations in the figures represented and in the details of the border designs. Most have as foundation a dark blue blanket, but green is not uncommon. All the materials in button blankets are products of trade. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)