Kwakiutl people, Vancouver Island, BC

10 inches, painted yellow cedar, hair

Ira Etzerza, the carver, is from the Wolf Clan of the Tahltan tribe, Kwakiutl people (more properly called Kwakwaka’wakw). I am amazed by the creativity and skill he displays in his interpretation of this classic monster. Only the finest NWC carvings combine imagination, artistic taste, tradition and master craftsmanship. Etzerza is as good the finest Noh and Balinese carvers... but more inventive.

In the mythology of the Kwakwaka’wakw people, the Dzunukwa, or Cannibal Woman, is a dangerous monster. Twice the normal height, with a black, hairy body and sagging breasts, she lurks in the forest and eats children. The Cannibal Woman is represented by a mask such as the one shown here, worn by a dancer during a Winter Ceremony. The dancer moves clumsily to represent the monster’s confusion outside the forest environment. This frightening character is also associated with riches, and, according to legend, men who could tame her would bring back great treasure. A chief may also wear a Dzunukwa mask when distributing wealth at a potlatch, a gift-giving ceremony.

SOLD