This large-scale mask depicts the Sun, an important figure in Kwakwaka’wakw cosmology. Although unsigned, this mask strongly resembles other Sun masks by Wei Wai Kum First Nation master carver Bill Henderson. In particular, the way the nose and nostrils are formed and the black outlines around the edge of the teeth are diagnostic features of Henderson’s work. It’s carved in red cedar and painted in yellow, red, and black. The face of the Sun, topped with deer fur, is surrounded by a corona of complex split-u forms and five long rays fanning out around three-quarters of the mask. The Sun has an intense expression with piercing eyes and bared teeth, creating a highly eccentric and sculptural mask that meets the gaze of the viewer.

—Christopher W. Smith