Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations Sun Mask is carved from a combination of red cedar and yellow. Fierce expression, as he blazes in the sky! The piece is skillfully carved with great detail. The extremely tight grain of the old-growth red and yellow cedar wood is a wonderful feature.

All of the lines have been cut (not just painted), and the carving is very deep. The mask has been adorned with hand-worked traditional red cedar bark bundles, and cedar rope edging.

This mask measures 14 x 14 and is 4 inches deep. Priced at $1250

The artist is a member of the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations. He was born 1950 in Kingcome Inlet, British Columbia, located off the southern coast. This area is representative of the Kwagiulth Nation.

He was taught to carve by his father and brother. He has been carving traditional Northwest Coast artwork for decades.

He carves in yellow and red cedar wood, and occasionally native longleaf pine wood. Presently, he resides in Nanaimo and carves on a full-time basis. In his spare time, he teaches basic carving skills to elementary school children. He is one of many Northwest Coast Native artists who is preserving the carving traditions of his people.

Raven and the Sun

According to a Haida story, in the beginning the world was in total darkness.

The Raven, who had existed from the beginning of time, was tired of groping about and bumping into things in the dark.

Eventually the Raven came upon the home of an old man who lived alone with his daughter. Through his slyness, the Raven learned that the old man had a great treasure. This was all the light in the universe, contained in a tiny box concealed within many boxes.

At once the Raven vowed to steal the light.

He thought and thought, and finally came up with a plan. He waited until the old man’s daughter came to the river to gather water. Then the Raven changed himself into a single hemlock needle and dropped himself into the river, just as the girl was dipping her water-basket into the river.

As she drank from the basket, she swallowed the needle. It slipped and slithered down into her warm belly, where the Raven transformed himself again, this time into a tiny human. After sleeping and growing there for a very long time, at last the Raven emerged into the world once more, this time as a human infant.

Even though he had a rather strange appearance, the Raven’s grandfather loved him. But the old man threatened dire punishment if he ever touched the precious treasure box. Nonetheless the Ravenchild begged and begged to be allowed to hold the light just for a moment.

In time the old man yielded, and lifted from the box a warm and glowing sphere, which he threw to his grandson.

As the light was moving toward him, the human child transformed into a gigantic black shadowy bird-form, wings spread ready for flight, and beak open in anticipation. As the beautiful ball of light reached him, the Raven captured it in his beak!

Moving his powerful wings, he burst through the smokehole in the roof of the house, and escaped into the darkness with his stolen treasure. His wings and feathers were scorched black from the intense heat of the sun as he flew, but Raven persevered.

And that is how light came into the universe. Since then, it has given all humankind warmth, light, and life.

The Sun is often carved on totem poles and masks, and sits atop the tallest totem in the world (Alert Bay, British Columbia). It represents life-giving abundance with its warmth, radiating healing and peace.