ESKIMO MASK

Ralph C. Altman, Los Angeles, acquired by the 1960s

Patricia B. Altman, Los Angeles, by descent from the above

Private Collection, by descent from the above

Sotheby's, New York, May 23, 2008, lot 13, consigned by the above

George Terasaki, New York, acquired at the above auction

“Monumental Legacy”, Native American Art, No. 23, October and November 2019, p. 127, fig. 4

An apparently unique survival from St. Lawrence Island, this mask exhibits a symmetrical and abstract design. The mask itself is a rectangular shape, with arched eyebrows highlighting two slitted eyes. The nose extends towards the bottom of the mask, opening into two large nostrils. These masks were utilized for the maintenance of the proper balance between spirits and human beings, and worn by shaman in their roles as intermediaries, when diagnosing the cause of poor hunting, or some crisis in the weather, for example. This half-faced mask is a rare example of this type of mask. The mask bears no fixtures that could have been used to tie it onto one’s head, perhaps suggesting that the person wearing it would have had to hold it. Possibly depicting an abstracted animal, the weathered wood used to make this mask shows signs of wear on the back, specifically at the height of the nose. As is the case for most of the masks used in ceremonial performances from this area and of this age, the iconography used is not entirely understood today. It is certain, however, that shamans were assisted by several familiar spirits (yek) who would appear in animal form. These spirits were inherited, usually by his mother’s brother. When performing, shamans were possessed by one of his spirits and would impersonate it. The mask, in turn, would reflect the animal spirit that possessed him. These could be in the form of a full mask or a half mask, like the present example. Masks were typically carved by an expert, although individuals could carve their own guardian spirit masks, and shaman could, if they wished, carve their own masks, all of which was done in great secrecy. Once used in ceremonies by shamans, many masks were thrown away or burned, their spiritual essence rising to the heavens. In interpreting such a mask, perhaps pinpointing its iconography is not ultimately in line with the thought process behind such objects. As Carpenter notes, "in Eskimo thought, where spirit is regarded as separable from flesh, and each man has many helping spirits, the lines between species and classes, even between man and animal, are lines of fusion, not fission, and nothing has a single, invariable shape." (Collins et al., The Far North: 2000 Years of American Eskimo and Indian Art, Washington, D.C., 1973, p. 283).