Tlingit Polychromed Wood Maskette

Possibly Rasmusson Collection, Portland (based on number on back)

Julius Carlebach, New York  

Acquired in 1970 from Norman Feder Collection, Denver

Excellent condition.
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From a written assessment on this piece by Steven C. Brown: "Tlingit shamans often owned headdresses mounted with small masks like this, representing one of the powerful spirits the shaman called upon in his healing work. Such a headgear was made from bent splints covered with swanskin that had the down still attached, and sometimes had eagle tail feathers tied upright as well. The mask was positioned on the forehead, like an echo of the shaman's own face embellished with color. A set of photographs made in Sitka by DeGroff in the early 1900s illustrate one of these headdresses in several poses replicating a shaman's activities.

This small mask is a typical size for these headgear, and was most likely used with one. The sculpture of the face on this ecample is suggestive of southern Tlingit work, such as among the Tongass or Sanya people. The influence of Tsimshian sculptural style can be seen in the formation of the cheeks and nose. Tsimshian shamans though, did not traditionally employ such maskettes in their practice. The width of the lips and the painting style are more typical of Tlingit style work. The greenish paint pigment comes from one of the iron ores such as celadonite or glauconite, also known as green earth pigments. To retain the original color of the powder, a thinner than usual mix of salmon-egg binder and water is used to create the paint, resulting in less adhesion than with other paint colors, such as the red in this example. A painting of this kind bears a relationship to the designs painted on faces in ritual settings or celebrations. Some such face designs depicted symbols of clan affiliation, but this is not likely in a maskette of this kind.

The small iron nail in the lower lip of this face appears to be the representation of a small labret, as would be worn by a young woman. The first labret opening in the lips of young girls was often made with a small metal pin, which was increased in size over time until a small disk of wood could be inserted. The disk would also increase in size over time as the lip adapted to it, until eventually some labrets became quite large in older women.

It's likely that this maskette represents the spirit of a young woman, indicated by the small labret. Shaman's spirits could be of animals or people, some with special powers that made them particularly valuable to the shaman's work."