Mask depicting Sneezer by Tom Patterson, Nuu-Chah-Nulth

Mask depicting Sneezer, 1993Tom Patterson, Nuu-Chah-Nulth First Nationred cedar, cedar bark, pigment24" high x 16" wide x 8" deep The Sneezer is part of the Animal Kingdom, or Atłak´ima. This is a winter ceremony dance and can include up to forty masked dancers. The dance tells the story of a Chief's son who ran away from his cruel father and hid in the woods. There he meets a supernatural grouse who introduces him to another realm where he meets the Forest Spirits. One of the Forest Spirits, the Sneezer, is a supernatural creature who brings a light hearted quality to the seriousness of the ceremony. Called an "interrupter," the Sneezer interrupts the sober setting by sneezing in an outrageous and theatrical manner. Tom Patterson was born in 1962 in Victoria, British Columbia.  Patterson is a member of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Nation of Vancouver Island. Patterson began carving at the age of fifteen with the Arts of the Raven workshop program. In 1977, he started his apprenticeship with Kwa