Seal Mask

Eskimo masks appeared, and are best understood, within the context of elaborate ceremonials and festivals that included dance, gesture, song and drumming. This mask depicts a seal, as seen by its facial features and the flippers attached at the sides of the head, but it also represents simultaneously the animal’s yua, or soul, and the souls of all seals. The face is vaguely human as well. In addition to representing the spirit of the animals depicted, many masks also expressed the ability of creatures and humans to change form, a common shamanistic theme. Masks were based on the visions of shamans, who either carved the mask themselves or directed the carving. The projecting, upward-turned rod with circular rings represents bubbles rising to the surface of the water.