Thunderbird Mask
by Shaun Scow, Kwakwaka'wakw First Nation
red cedar, cedar bark, feathers, abalone, pigment
10” high x 9” wide x 8.5” deep
Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation artist Shaun Scow is a member of the distinguished Scow Family of carvers including his father Rupert, and his uncles Len, Barry, Ray, Alfred, and Brian. The Scow family lineage connects back to high-ranking ancestral leaders, such as Chief Scow of Gilford Island, whose historical "Sea Monster House" and monumental totem poles are legendary markers of Kwakwaka'wakw heritage.
Shaun uses dramatic colors to adorn his masks including white background, black form lines, and red secondary colors along with brown, green, yellow, and orange. The exaggerated shapes, bright colors, inlaid shells such as abalone, dentalium, as well as stones and metals, with shredded or braided cedar bark enhances the dramatic effect when danced during ceremony or potlatch.
