Mask

This mask was collected by the explorer Alphonse Pinart from the Alutiiq in Kodiak, in the central southern part of Alaska. This is a magnificently engraved board mask covered in reindeer fur. It was probably painted with products brought by Europeans, as traditional paint rapidly wears away, with the exception of red ochre and charcoal. This mask has never been worn during a ritual dance, as the eyes, nose and mouth have not been sculpted and hollowed out. The name of this mask, Allayak, evokes both man in general, different men, others, the avaricious, the rapacious, and an origin myth.