Bird mask with human face between beaks; missing pegs; minor abrasions; stationary bill; human face, birds eyes and forehead natural wood color; beak, mouth, spots and back of head red-brown; on top of beak are 2 strands of seal thong. Specimen damaged 10/5/67 while on loan. Both beaks pulled from mask base out on pins.
Donor:
Alaska Commercial Company, Benjamin Bristol, and Older University Collections
Collection place:
Alaska
Verbatim coll. place:
Alaska
Culture or time period:
Alaskan Eskimo
Collector:
unknown
Collection date:
unknown
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Masks (costume)
Function:
5.3 Objects relating to the Secular and Quasi-religious Rites, Pageants, and Drama
Accession date:
1904
Context of use:
Worn in dancing.
Department:
Native US and Canada (except California)
Dimensions:
width 21 centimeters, height 26 centimeters, and length 38.2 centimeters
Comment:
Photo: 13-4366; 25-2278a-d. Published: Erna Gunther, "The Alaska Native Arts Come Home", Centennial Exposition catalogue, May 27-Sept. 30, 1967, Fairbanks, Alaska, p. 17.; Ill., Buxton, Mary Hancock, The Eskimo Sponsored by Humble Oil and Refining Co., The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 1969. Ill., Dorothy Jean Ray, "Alaskan Eskimo Arts and Crafts", The Beaver, Autumn, 1967, p. 80. Ray, D.J. Eskimo Masks: Art and Ceremony, Pl. VI and pp. 174-75. Exhibitied: Centennial Exposition, May 27-Sept. 30, 196, Fairbanks, Alaska. Exh. and Illus. "The Far North: 200 Years of American Eskimo and Indian Art" National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1973 (Exh. March 7-May 15, 1973 at the National Gallery then travelling); p. 123.
Loans:
S1945-1946 #4: Winfield Scott Wellington (March 11, 1946–October 28, 1955), S1951-1952 #1: University of California, Los Angeles (March 15, 1952–returned by 1957), S1957-1960 [XXX Wellington]: University Art Museum (UC Berkeley) (1957–1960), S1964-1965 #68: International House (UC Berkeley) (March 23, 1965–April 13, 1965), S1966-1967 #89: University of Alaska, Fairbanks (April 17, 1967–October 2, 1967), S1969-1970 #13: Museum of Fine Arts, Texas (August 7, 1969–January 2, 1970), S1972-1973 #16: Amon Carter Museum of Western Art (October 16, 1972–June 11, 1974), S1993-1994 #8: Heffernan Films (November 3, 1993–November 3, 1993), S1995-1996 #17: Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain (June 11, 1996–December 2, 1996), and S2009-2010 #6: Musee du Quai Branly (February 8, 2010–July 21, 2011)