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Tsonokwa Mask by Andrew Coon, Northwest Coast Kwagu'l Nation, BC

Creator: Andrew Coon
Offered by: Robert James Walsh & Company

Description
This ceremonial dance mask depicts Tsonokwa, the Wild Woman of the Woods. It is carved red cedar with red acrylic paint and graphite, and it is signed and dated April, 1987 by the Kwakwaka'wakw artist Andrew Coon of Gilford Island, British Columbia, Canada. The artist's inscription in pencil on the inside reads "Andrew Coon, Gilford Island, BC, Kwagu'l, Tsonoqua, 4/87." The Kwagu'l (or Kwakiutl) Tribe is part the Kwakwaka'wakw-speaking Canadian First Nations in British Columbia.

Tsonokwa is an ancient figure in Kwakwaka'wakw mythology. She is a giant creature with dark skin, pendulous breasts, shaggy hair covering her whole body, and is nearly blind, very sleepy in character, clumsy and slow. She stumbles along in a hunched posture while uttering, "Huu, huu, huu!" as she roams the forest searching for children to put in her basket to carry them back to her cave to eat. She is a shape-shifter, can transform into a male, is a possessor of treasures, and she often appears during a potlatch ceremony to give away wealth.

In the traditional spiritual dances of the winter season, she is represented by masks such as this one. She often arrives toward the end of the night's rituals, wearing this type of mask and covered in long red cedar bark strips for hair, shuffles her way around the fire scaring everyone with her demeanor and eerie call, stumbles and lurches, and eventually falls down asleep before being led away by her attendants, signaling the end of the evening's ceremony.

She sounds like an owl or a loon or the wind in cedar trees. She is often linked to mysterious creatures of other cultures, such as Big Foot, a Yeti, Sasquatch, or the witch in the Hansel and Gretel story. One of the purposes of portraying her is to make children afraid to wander off and get lost in the forest.

This mask has great appeal with deep, emotional carving, spiritual understanding, reverence for First Nations traditions and folklore, striking colors, and a bold dramatic appearance. Andrew Coon's artistry is superior. His mask has holes along the edges and around the lips to accommodate shredded red cedar bark to simulate hair when the wearer is in full regalia. But the long hair of Tsonokwa often hides her facial features, so its absence here allows the mask to be clearly seen for display. It has screw-eyes and hanging wire attached to the reverse side for easy mounting on a wall. It would be eye catching in a foyer, hallway, office, den, or library.

More Information

Documentation:	Signed
Notes:	Signed, titled, dated, tribe - in pencil on reverse.
Origin:	Canada
Period:	1980-1999
Materials:	Red cedar, carved, painted with graphite and red acrylic paint.
Condition:	Good. Wear consistent with age and use.
Creation Date:	1987
Styles / Movements:	Tribal, American Indian, Folk Art
Patterns:	Animal/Insects, Handmade, Traditional
Dealer Reference #:	D202-015-EBC/L
Incollect Reference #:	486287

Dimensions

W.	7.75 in;	H.	11 in;	D.	6.5 in;
W.	19.69 cm;	H.	27.94 cm;	D.	16.51 cm;

Message from Seller:

Robert James Walsh & Company is a thirty-year-old Vermont business dealing in antiques, art, and modernism. Robert Walsh, owner, is also an Accredited Member of Appraisers Association of America, as well as a respected consultant. We have participated in many international trade shows in the US and Canada.

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