Saw this at the met yesterday and I thought it was pretty neat.
Whale Transformation Mask. From the Kwakwaka’wakw tribe.
A person would wear this mask by putting it on their back and making the different parts move. The tail would go up and down, the fins would move in and out, and the mouth would open and close. i think the dorsal fin moves too. But, the performer would wear this mask on their back and imitate the movements of a whale, like a puppeteer. The face inside the mouth was apparently an ancestor who interacted with whales.
I was walking around and it caught my eye. I just thought it was built really impressively. i kinda want it.
