Museum Purchase: Indian Collection Subscription Fund, Rasmussen Collection of Northwest Coast Indian Art. Collected: Axel Rasmussen

Museum Purchase: Indian Collection Subscription Fund, Rasmussen Collection of Northwest Coast Indian Art. Collected: Axel Rasmussen

Mask is composed of a cut face of a fox-like animal with two red pointed ears, cut out angled eyes, cut out nostrils, and slightly open cut out mouth with green hair painted around it. The animal face also forms the side-view of the body of a fish with eyes painted grey, a red carved mouth and gill, and fins and tail painted with grey lines. Two surrounding curved wood sticks are attached to the mask along the sides with four pegs. Six black feathers are attached all around the mask through the two surrounding curved wood sticks and have a wood ornament attached at their ends, starting from the top, clock-wise: fish, fish, fish, fish, duck, and duck.

Mask with male face and eleven wood ornaments. Symbolizing water, heaven, and earth. The mask is painted with stylized black eyebrow, eyelashes, moustache, and goatee. The small eyes, nostrils, and slightly open mouth with teeth, are cut out. Two surrounding curved wood sticks are attached to the mask along the sides with four pegs. Eleven black feathers are attached all around the mask through the two surrounding curved wood sticks and have a wood ornament attached at their ends, starting from the top, clock-wise: fish, peg, hand, peg, fish, foot, foot, fish, peg with fluffy white feather, hand, and peg with fluffy white feather.

The main body of the mask (part a) is in the form of a caribou or reindeer with two attached antlers (parts b and c). The centre of the body of the mask has a circular face with cut out eyes, nostrils, and mouth with teeth, around which, on the outer of two protruding circles directly in front of it, are the other attached pieces. Part d: feather with fish at 12 o'clock position, part e: feather with knob, part f: feather with hand, part g: feather with knob, part h: feather with fish, part i: feather with knob, part j: feather with fish, part k: feather with leg, part l: feather with knob, part m: feather with knob, part n: feather with leg, part o: feather with knob, part p: feather with fish, part q: feather with knob, part r: feather with hand, and part s: feather with knob. (Note: going clockwise from d). The main mask is made of lightly coloured wood. The feathers are dark brownish-black. The antlers, and hand and leg pieces are reddish-brown. The fish are painted blue and red, and the knobs with a blue line around the middle.

Sea gull with fish in beak. Two wood sticks circle around the sea gull and are attached with three wood pegs. From these two circles radiate wood ornaments from dark feathers from top, clock-wise: flat slightly curved animal face, fish, peg with fluffy white feather, painted wing, peg with fluffy white feather, flipper-like piece, painted tail, flipper-like piece, peg with fluffy white feather, painted wing, peg with fluffy white feather, and fish. Each symbolizes a different sphere.

Mask of a fox head painted in red with black eyes and nose. Two surrounding curved wood sticks are attached to the mask along the sides with three pegs. Eight white-grey feathers are attached all around the mask through the two surrounding curved wood sticks and have a wood ornament attached at their ends, starting from the top, clock-wise: fish with outstretched fins, paw, peg with fluffy white feather, tail, thin triangular piece, tail, peg with fluffy white feather, and paw.

Puffin head mask (part a) with multiple attachments (parts b-o). Puffin has a fish clamped in its multi-coloured beak, and four wide holes drilled around the back edge of its head. Eyes are triangular, with long lines extending from their bottom edges to back edge of mask. Circular area around eyes is undecorated; top, bottom and back of head are painted black. Two wood sticks tied in circles (parts b-c) attach to mask with short pegs (parts l-o); cormorant feathers, with wood carvings on tips, extend from outer circle (parts d-k). Carvings on feather ornaments consist of a thin bird head (part d), two fish (parts e-f), two fins (parts g-h), and three wings (parts i-k). Circular rings are painted orange-red; larger one has holes drilled through it for attachments to fit into. All wood attachments have black, dark red-orange, and light blue highlights painted across them; decorative incisions and elements carved in relief throughout. All cormorant feathers are dark grey-black. Metal ring attached to back of mask component, for hanging.