https://emuseum.cornell.edu/internal/media/dispatcher/90327/fullShaman mask20th century19 1/2 × 18 3/4 × 3 3/8 inches (49.5 × 47.6 × 8.6 cm)Polychromed wood, feathers, and raffiaGift of Noyes Huston, Class of 193277.019.0040Masked dancing traditionally took place during the long Alaskan winter in the qasgiq or communal men's house. Masks were carved, decorated and painted, ingenious theatrical devices were created and hung from the roof, and beautiful clothing was sewn, all as part of a complex spiritual life which honored the beings that made life possible in the Arctic environment. The masks were used for many ceremonial purposes; they were said to have made the unseen world visible. It is impossible today to know the specific meanings behind any type of mask, as the meaning was personal to the mask's creator and related to the story he or she wished to tell. Similar looking masks could portray stories with very different meanings; elders remember many stories and dances associated with certain masks.
After Christian contact in the late nineteenth century, masked dancing was suppressed, and today it is not practiced as it was before in the Alaskan villages. Over the years, discarded masks were collected by traders and explorers, and many found their way into museum collections. In museums the Yup'ik masks, many originally used in masked dancing as pairs, were exhibited as unique works of art and were appreciated on their artistic merit alone. The National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C is the repository for a large collection of Yup'ik masks and ceremonial objects.
For more information about Yup'ik masks, please see the following two books:
The Living Tradition of Yupik Masks, Agayuliyararput, Our Way of Making Prayer.
By Ann Fienup-Riordan, Translation by Marie Meade. Anchorage Museum of History and Art: University of Washington Press.
Agayuliyararput/ Our Way of Making Prayer, Kegginaqut, Kangiit-llu/Yup'ik Masks and the Stories They Tell. Transcribed and Translated by Marie Meade, Edited by Ann Fienup-Riordan. Anchorage Museum of History and Art: University of Washington Press.
This Twentieth Century mask is similar in general form to Yupik (Yup'ik) Eskimo masks from western Alaska. Religious practitioners known as shamans traditionally wore masks during a variety of rituals and ceremonies. The masks were often worn by dancers, who were imbued with the spirit of the mask during a performance. Such masks were often destroyed afterwards. The use of masks goes far back in time, and archaeological remains of masks have been found from the prehistoric Dorset culture. Mask usage is widespread among Native American groups of the north and northwest coast areas, although the specific symbolism and artistic style of these masks differs substantially from one group to the next.
Decorative Arts19256212044Harry O. ShavingsBRIEF DESCRIPTION
This mask was made in the tradition of Yupik (Yup’ik) Eskimo masks worn by shaman (medicine men) during rituals and ceremonies.
WHERE WAS IT MADE?
This shaman mask was made in Alaska, where the artist Harry O. Shavings lived and worked.
HOW WAS IT MADE?
This mask was carved from wood, likely with hand tools, and painted. Notice how the artist used feathers to join the small carvings of flippers and fish to the rings circling the main face.
HOW WAS IT USED?
This twentieth century mask is similar in general form to Yupik (Yup’ik) Eskimo masks from western Alaska. These traditional masks were often worn by shamans during rituals or by dancers, who were imbued with the spirit of the mask during a performance. Such masks were often destroyed afterwards. The use of masks goes far back in time, and archaeological remains of masks have been found from the prehistoric Dorset culture.
Masked dancing traditionally took place during the long Alaskan winter in the qasgiq or communal men's house. Masks were carved, decorated and painted, ingenious theatrical devices were created and hung from the roof, and beautiful clothing was sewn, all as part of a complex spiritual life that honored the beings that made life possible in the Arctic environment. The masks were used for many ceremonial purposes; they were said to have made the unseen world visible.
WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE THIS?
It is impossible today to know the specific meanings behind any type of Yupik (Yu’pik) style mask, as the meaning was personal to the mask's creator and related to the story he or she wished to tell. Similar looking masks could portray stories with very different meanings; elders remember many stories and dances associated with certain masks. These practices were suppressed after Christian contact in the late nineteenth century. Later, in the twentieth century, artists such as Harry O. Shavings revived the tradition of mask making, creating their own innovations steeped in the traditional designs.
77.019.004