Sea Urchin Transformation Object

The concept of transformation-the ability to change from one form to another-is fundamental to the religious beliefs of many Pacific Northwest Coast cultures. The term also refers to the portrayal of two or more aspects or identities within a single representation. Transformation is expressed in countless and varied forms of Northwest Coast art, but seldom more vividly than in articulated masks and performance objects such as this. In works of this kind, the outer image is made of two or more hinged parts that enabled the dancer to open it during the ceremony, revealing a second image within. Either suspended or supported from below and manipulated by cords, the object was transformed from sea urchin to human, which must have been both memorable and dramatic.