Sold 1983
Sold 1981
Sold
2008
2008
20 inches wide x 18 inches high
Materials: Brass, Spruce wood, Acrylic and Brass Rods. Coated with clear varnish for protection.
This mask represents the spirit of the spruce tree, that has helped sustain the warmth, hunting tools, bows and arrows in the Native lands accross Alaska. The smaller masks around the mask are its helpers. The 'hands' are in the form of wings representing its ability to fly about.
21 inches wide x 22 inches high
Materials: Driftwood from Nunivak Island, Red Ochre and
Blue Cobalt from Nelson Island, Reindeer Hair from
Nunivak Island, and feathers. Coated with clear varnish for
protection.
During the 1800's white sailors from Russia arrived
on Nunivak Island, where the first encounters occurred
and trading started. The blue and white pieces at the feather
tips represent the barrels they used to trade for oil. During
that time, old masks were pilfered without permission from
old village sites.
The rings around the mask usually represented the
different planes of existence. Sometimes there were
three rings, the first ring was for the underworld or lower
plane, the second was for the existence we live in,
while the third represented the higher plane.
Mask Core 10 inches high x 6 inches wide ; 18 inches wide to tip of hands x 19 inches height.
Materials: Spruce wood, acrylic, red ochre from Nelson Island, bent wood and brass rods.
This mask represents the man in the moon, where the shaman would beseech for the release of animals from their keeper or to request for the location of where the animals were abundant. The hole in the hands represent the "Ellam Yua" (Person of the Universe) having control over the release or closure of fish and wildlife, depending on how well the humans have treated the creatures and the respect and sharing they show for one another.