#64 • 1940s Nunivak Yup'ik Shaman Feast Mask

Part of September 2024 Premier Auction (live auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $550.00

Status: Sold

Category: Ethnographic Objects

A circa 1940s Nunivak Island ritualistic shaman feast mask crafted of yellow cedar and painted red to represent the human side and blue to symbolize the red fox. The mask itself depicts a half-man, half-animal spirit known variously as "excit" for men or "yeyehuk" for women. The "Messenger Feast" for which this mask would have been carved was a communal celebration in which one village on the island would host prominent people from other villages at a feast. The fox half contains sixteen teeth, and the entire face is suspended within dual cedar rings and accented by a pair each of hands and feet, and further adorned by a dozen white feathers. Prepared for hanging, it measures approximately 16.5" x 14".