Northwest Coast First Nations art by Gilbert Dawson - GHOST mask

GHOST is hand-carved by Kwakwaka'wakw artist Gilbert Dawson. It has been carved from red cedar and painted in black, red, and white acrylic with locally harvested red cedar .. This GHOST Mask by Gilbert Dawson represents a human-like personification of the Spirit World, like those of other Northwest Coast peoples, can be divided into four separate spirit realms: sky spirits, sea spirits, earth spirits, and otherworldly spirits. All four realms interact with one another, and human beings attempt to contact all four worlds and often channel their spirits at sacred ceremonies wherein dancers go into trances while wearing masks and other regalia associated with the spirit world.