Mask of a forest spirit "tsonoqua", before 1924
B. Goetting, Beaverdell, British Columbia, Canada (1924)
Georg Frigge, Hamburg Osdorf, Germany (acquired 1962)
Description
light wood, black patina, striking small eyes, the nose reminding of a skull, mouth with pursed lips, slightly dam. (mouth, nose), abrasion of paint;
“Tsonoqua” is a figure in Kwakiutl mythology. She is said to be a powerful, giant woman who lives in the deep woods. “Tsonoqua” owns the wealth of the forest, including the highly valued mineral copper, and as such her image is appropriated for many symbols of wealth-giving. She is also greatly feared by children, because she is also known as an ogress who steels children and carries them in her basket to eat. She is always depicted with pursed lips because she is said to give off the call “Hu”. It is often told to children that the sound of the wind blowing through the cedar trees is actually the call of “tsonoqua”. At the end of a Kwakiutl “potlach” ceremony, the host chief comes out bearing a mask of “tsonoqua”. This is the sign that the ceremony is over.