Henry Hunt
Canadian, Kwakwaka'wakw, 1923 - 1985Kingfisher Mask, n.d.
On view
Carved and painted red cedar
Dimensions23 × 22 in. (58.4 × 55.9 cm)
Gift from the Collection of Myron and Barbara Levine, 2018.103
Henry Hunt was a renowned Kwakwaka’wakw artist who specialized in woodcarving. The Kwakwaka’wakw peoples are the indigenous inhabitants of the coastal areas of northeastern Vancouver Island and British Columbia. They are renowned for their elaborate masks, an art form that dates back at least a thousand years. The masks often represent ancestral spirits, animals, and supernatural entities. When used in seasonal festivals or potlatch (gift-giving) ceremonies, dancers take on the personification of the creatures that the masks represent and enter the supernatural world during the dance.
This is a Kingfisher mask and represents the small bird who is assistant to Wolf, the leader of the animals. Although they are an integral part of Kwakwaka’wakw society, masks were nearly wiped out when the Canadian government banned potlatch ceremonies because they believed they impeded indigenous assimilation. The ban lasted from 1885 to 1950, and during that time, masks were confiscated and traditional carving practices were discouraged. Once it was lifted, the generation of artists that included Henry Hunt began to revive techniques and iconography of their ancestors. They had little to go off of, mostly inspiration from books and museums, but they worked tirelessly to revive this important artform.
Before becoming a full-time artist, Hunt worked as a logger and fisherman. In 1954, he moved to Victoria and became chief assistant to the master carver of Thunderbird Park. The park was established in 1941 to display a number of totem poles from the Royal British Columbia Museum’s collection. A decade later the museum began a restoration project that included moving the original poles inside and creating replica versions by Kwakwaka‘wakw master carvers. He later became master carver, a position he held until 1974. In his free time, Hunt would carve masks for collectors and the art market. Unlike many of his masks that are solid blocks of wood, meant to be used for decoration, this mask has a hollow back and eyeholes, meaning it could be worn during a ceremony.
