• Ethnographic Material: Carved and painted ceremonial mask, Iñupiat (Native Alaskan Tribe)
    Front view of Native Alaskan wooden mask, carved and painted
Ethnographic Material: Carved and painted ceremonial mask, Iñupiat (Native Alaskan Tribe)
Ethnographic Material: Carved and painted ceremonial mask, Iñupiat (Native Alaskan Tribe)
Ethnographic Material: Carved and painted ceremonial mask, Iñupiat (Native Alaskan Tribe)

Ethnographic Material: Carved and painted ceremonial mask, Iñupiat (Native Alaskan Tribe)

Mask


1867 (Date manufactured/created)
1800 – 1860 (Date manufactured/created)
wood
Native Alaskan ceremonial mask of wood, carved and painted in the image of a human face with minimal definition of features such as the eyebrows, nose, mouth and eyes.  The overall simplicity of the face is both elegant and masterful in this modestly sized wooden mask.  Narrow, elongated openings define the eyes, an oblong opening defines the mouth, and the long, slender nose has two nostril openings.  The surface has been painted with what may have been an ivory color pigment (now sparse and greyed) and features a black band across the upper forehead, likely representing hair. Small holes on either side of the mask, just below the level of the eyes, would have been used for fastening ribbons or sinew of some type; there is also one off-center hole in the chin area, purpose unknown.  The back view shows the unpainted wood.  Although it appears to be a functional mask, its size is quite small compared to the typical human face.  Further research is needed to determine if this would actually have been worn, and if so, was it for a child, or was this made as a decorative object to sell to 19th century tourists and "collectors" of Native American people.

The mask is listed in museum records from the 1890s as an "Eskimo Mask. King Island and wooden false face - King Island."  Current research suggests this was likely made by the Iñupiat, a native Alaskan tribe. King Island, called Ugiuvak in Iñupiat, was the home of an Iñupiat tribe.  The Iñupiat are a native Alaskan people, whose traditional territory goes from the Norton Sound to the Bearing Sea.  At present, no Iñupiat live on King Island, although many homes remain there. They now live in Nome, Alaska, and have maintained their cultural identity there.  

Current research into this mask indicates two possible uses: the first that it is a cultural artifact and was used in ceremonies in the Iñupiat culture; the second that it was intended for sale to visiting tourists.  The obvious wear on the piece suggests it might be an authentic cultural artifact, however that is not a certain method to determine its original purpose.  The fine calibre of the piece also suggests it is above "tourist trade" quality.  Research is ongoing.

According to Dr. Jonathan Reyman, Native American anthropologist (Pueblo Specialist) and former Curator of Anthropology at the Illinois State Museum, who examined the object via photographs offered the following via an email dated December 2, 2023: “The mask could have been worn by a small woman or child, but such pieces have occasionally been used on the front of clothing worn during ceremonies. However, to call it a “false face” mask is incorrect. False face masks are from the Northeast Woodlands, specifically the Iroquois Confederacy, I don’t think this mask is made for the tourist trade, although a tourist apparently acquired it. I write this because it shows wear use, especially on the exterior. This mask was carved using a chisel, a small adze, or both. It’s well made but not finished (smoothed) on the inside. It probably dates to the early-mid 19th century. 

There is debate about the appropriate term that should be used for cultures native to the northern circumpolar region.  Eskimo is considered a pejorative term in Canada and Greenland, but this opinion is not shared by others.  The use of the word Inuit does not cover all native cultures either, as Native Alaskans do not fall strictly under the definition of Inuit.  It is a complex issue, and because the Barnum Museum does not know the exact group of peoples with whom this artifact is associated, the general term Northern Circumpolar people has been used in the description and Inuit in the subject headings.
1890.009.001