OBJECTS OF BRIGHT PRIDE: SECOND EDITION. WARDWELL, ALLEN EXHIBITION CATALOG, 1978 OBJECTS OF BRIGHT PRIDE: NORTHWEST COAST INDIAN ART FROM THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.FIRST EDITION. WARDWELL, ALLEN EXHIBITION CATALOG, 1978, Publisher: THE CENTER FOR INTER-AMERICAN RELATIONS AND THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF THE ARTS

DOWN FROM THE SHIMMERING SKY: MASKS OF THE NORTHWEST COAST. MACNAIR, PETER, JOSEPH, AND GRENVILLE EXHIBITION CATALOG, 1990, Publisher: THE VANCOUVER ART GALLERY OBJECTS OF BRIGHT PRIDE: SECOND EDITION. WARDWELL, ALLEN EXHIBITION CATALOG, 1978 OBJECTS OF BRIGHT PRIDE: NORTHWEST COAST INDIAN ART FROM THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.FIRST EDITION. WARDWELL, ALLEN EXHIBITION CATALOG, 1978, Publisher: THE CENTER FOR INTER-AMERICAN RELATIONS AND THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF THE ARTS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ETHNOLOGY OF THE HAIDA [OF QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS]. SWANTON, JOHN R. MEMOIRS, 8, 1905

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

Face masks are brought out on ceremonial occasions in the display of inherited crests and privileges and as a means by which the presence of supernatural beings and their powers are made tangible. Eyeholes allow the wearer to see during the dance or dramatization of a story or event related to the creature depicted. The pierced openings along the top of this mask most likely were filled with feathers, echoing the painted U-shapes and hatch marks referencing plumage. - Anna Strankman

Phillip Charette, whose Yup'ik name Aarnaquq was handed down in his family, is an artist who sees inspiration in traditional forms and creates visually potent statements using a variety of contemporary media. Historically, Yup'ik shamans used Amikuk masks in their healing ceremonies as a portal to travel into the spiritual world. Although the traditional style of Yup'ik mask was carved from wood, Charette uses a range of ceramic techniques to achieve the desired results and even models the clay to simulate the adze marks that appear on the surface of wooden masks. He researches every detail and each aspect has a symbolic reference. For example, the white paint around the eyes represent snow goggles and the red on the lips and interior of the nostrils represents blood, signifying the mask's strength, while the porcelain teeth are a reminder of the dangerous and powerful beings that inhabit the spiritual world.

Gift of Gail Robertson Bergevin in memory of Margery Robertson.