Jane Kwatleematt Marston began carving in 1984, apprenticing with the renowned Chemainus carver Simon Charlie, whom she later described as her mentor. She became an accomplished carver, teacher and cultural advocate, producing a multitude of works rooted in Coast Salish traditions. Together with her husband, the carver David Marston, she passed this knowledge to their sons John and Luke, both now celebrated carvers.

In the present mask, Marston depicts Thunderbird, a powerful supernatural being known to many Indigenous nations. In Coast Salish oral traditions, this immense bird brings thunder with the beating of its wings and commands lightning with its eyes. Marston's use of lacquer on the eyes is, therefore, particularly inspired. The polished eyes catch and cast the light, flashing back at the viewer as though charged with something of Thunderbird’s own supernatural power.

Stylistically, the bird is closely comparable to known Coast Salish Thunderbird imagery, including the Thunderbird carved on a Chemainus spindle whorl in the Field Museum (FM A108064c). Both share a large circular eyes, strongly hooked beak and, most distinctively, a small recurved ear placed above behind the eyes. These exaggerated features make for a powerful, immediately recognizable profile.

The carving itself is deftly handled. Deeply cut contours and fine incisions give definition to the facial features, while the entire mask is laid over an underpaint of glitter. Although made for sale rather than ceremony, the work loses none of its theatrical presence. The glitter catches and scatters light across the painted and carved surfaces, allowing the mask to shimmer even beyond the firelight of a ceremony. This choice also recalls an older practice in which pulverized minerals, including mica schist, were applied to carved surfaces for their reflective qualities.

The woollen elements of the headdress introduce a further dimension. Their soft, fibrous strands contrast beautifully with the firm contours of the carved wood and hammered bark, while recalling the long tradition of Coast Salish textile production [1]. Weaving was historically associated principally with women, while carving was largely the province of men. By bringing these materials together, Marston acknowledges both traditions, paying homage to the women who preceded her and to the artists and weavers among whom she worked. In her hands, wood and wool, carving and textile, find a natural and pleasing union.

1. See Lot 82 for further discussion.

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