I have been to the Museum of Anthropology several times now and this wood carved masked grabs my eyes every time I am there. I have probably spent more time looking at this mask than any other piece in the museum. I am not sure if it is its pure simplicity or the brilliance of the carving itself but it always pulls at my soul.
A few years ago I took three aboriginal wood carving courses with Coast Salish Master Carver Francis Horne. He taught me that, when carving, the wood already knows what it wants to be, it is just a matter of me chipping it away and finding it. He also went on to explain that you put a little bit of yourself, your being, into your carvings. Part of me thought of this as silliness but as I worked the wood and things started to take shape I realized that what he said was true. The wood did take the shape it wanted. What I initially saw as flaws, I came to realize, made the mask even more beautiful and unique.
When I look at this mask I see an amazing piece of wood and an amazing carver. The grain is gorgeous and worked so well for the bird face shape. To have put any paint or colouring on this mask would have ruined it. When I look at it, I can’t help but feel it is looking back at me and saying something. I haven’t quite heard it’s message but I am sure to spend more time looking at it and trying to figure it out.