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Sea Bear Mask

Artist Statement:

“This is a Sea Bear that was inspired by a young gentleman that has now moved on to success. Joey needed some assistance. While we were talking I was showing him my photo album. I asked him to pick a mask that he would like to see. He liked the Sea Bear I had carved in the 1980’s. This Sea Bear has the colors I remember from master carver Uncle Henry Hunt. I would like to note also the white suckers on Sea Bear’s Face are barnacles. The webbed paws were from another earlier piece known as Puguis.

Throughout our villages part of the potlatch seen by our people was that of the Sea Kingdom. The sea kingdom included all of the sea creatures real and mythical. Salmon, whales, octopus, etcetera. Then the mythical sea creatures would and could be Sea Raven and wild women of the sea (tsononquise) and the Sea Bear. These are examples of the sea creatures. The family that had the right to dance this series would have the entire sea kingdom in place. The viewing of this series was very special. It was danced before contact of the new visitors and is still being danced to this day.” – Thomas Patterson, 2017.