Mask
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.Chugach masks with dramatic features are an integral part of social and ceremonial life. Each is unique, and they represent spirits, characters from legends, or powerful ancestors. The historical record indicates masks were often destroyed after their first performance, and in rare instances, they were also traded or gifted to Euro Americans. Masking traditions paused with the arrival of missionaries in the nineteenth century, and since the 1980s, Native communities in Alaska have brought back the practice of mask carving.
Artwork Details
- Title: Mask
- Date: 1860
- Geography: Made in Alaska, United States
- Culture: Chugach, Native American
- Medium: Wood, vegetable fiber and pigment
- Dimensions: 16 1/2 × 8 1/2 × 4 1/2 in. (41.9 × 21.6 × 11.4 cm)
- Credit Line: Loan from the Charles and Valerie Diker Collection
- Object Number: L.2018.35.65
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing