Unknown cultural origin
Mask Model
Inuit, 1200
Physical Qualities
Wood, 10 1/4 in. (26 cm.)
Credit Line
Purchase with exchange funds from Gift of Alan Wurtzburger
Object Number
1960.65
Masks, expressing the spiritual experiences of a shaman, are a product of the skills of the shaman and the artist. While only men were carvers, both men and women could be shamans. Men could carve their own masks, or men and women could commission a mask by instructing the carver in the nature of the spirit met in the vision. By creating and performing a mask, a shaman brought people together with the spirit world.
Purchased from Franco Monti, Milan, Italy
Isaac Delgado, "Masks and Masquerades," Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA, February 1 - March 31, 1961, catalog no. 56.
Inscribed: 2 labels: 1) 'BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART'; 2) 'B14'; faded white ink: '345'.
Culture
Unknown cultural origin
