Stone Ancestor - Alder Mask

Kyle Tallio

Stone Ancestor - Alder Mask

Kyle Tallio
SOLD
SOLD
$4,500.00

13" x 8 5/8" x 5 1/2"

With cedar bark

"There is a village in the mid-upper Nuxalk Valley - sometimes referred to as Bella Coola, where the people of Nus’qalst relied on a green stone (S’qalst) for making tools such as adzes and axes. This stone was part of the community’s economy, and this is also tied to the origin stories of the village. This stone was traded up and down the West Coast, valued for its toughness and ability to hold its shape under heavy impact and heavy use. The green used on the mask represents the green qualities in the stone at Nusq’alst. It is an important characteristic of the stone, although it is not the only way to identify it."

- Kyle Tallio

Artist Biography and Additional Work