Glen Rabena is a non-Indigenous artist who was adopted into the Eagle Clan by Haida artist and Chief Claude Davidson in 1987, after several years of working with Claude’s sons, Robert and Reg Davidson. [1] Before working with the Davidsons, Rabena was a student at the Kitanmax School of Northwest Coast Art at K'san in the 1970s and is perhaps best known for his series of formline bird prints. Rabena is also known for his finely carved alder masks with cherubic faces and precise formline designs.

Rabena’s choice to create an elderly woman mask is probably influenced by his training at ‘Ksan, where elderly portrait masks were a favorite motif for use in dance and for sale. This mask is carved in alder, whose relative hardness allows for crisp, fine lines to create the wrinkled surface of the woman’s face. The eyes really emote the feeling of decades of lived experience in the mask’s expression, with the pupils partially obscured and large, realistic bags carefully carved under each eye. A subtly impactful reddish wash lining the eyes and lips add to the realism of the mask. The care in the overall execution is quite stunning, with carved teeth and fine lines accentuating the realistic rendering of the mouth. The large labret is inlaid with abalone, indicating that this would be a woman of high status. The mask is finished with white rabbit fur for eyebrows, long white horsehair, and a cedar rope headband.

1. Glen Rabena biography. https://www.glenrabena.com/gallery/bio/. Accessed 25 April 2025.

—Christopher W. Smith