Vintage Northwest Coast Humanoid Eagle Mask Wood Sculpture Abalone Eyes

Description

This mask comes from my personal collection, I have collected Native American art since the 1970's.  This mask has been in my possession since 1986, I don't know the history before then.  Northwest Coast
Masks are made from wood, primarily yellow cedar, red cedar and alder, which is then painted with three primary colors: black or blue, red, and white.
Masks represent the animals and creatures of the four dimensions of the cosmos: the Sky World, the Mortal World, the Undersea World, and the Spirit World.
Northwest Coast Native American ceremonial masks portray many different types of humans and animals including mythical creatures from Northwest Native legends. Some of the masks were portrait masks where they were created to represent particular persons. Animal masks had exceptional denotation for specific clans since all members of a tribe were apparently descended from particular animals.
Today, masks can be part of this drama. The storyteller who wears the mask, "became the spirit of what the mask represented, whether that’s an ancestor, a bear, raven, or eagle." Many animals depicted by masks are themselves representative of particular traits or myths. The raven, for instance, can be a teacher or trickster, while the eagle mask is used to make a fresh path for dancers.
Mask measures 12" long x 9" wide x 6 1/2" deep
Eyes are Abalone Shell
Black human hair
Questions???  Please ask before purchasing to avoid any misunderstandings.
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