Pacific Northwest Coast "Haida" Carved Dogfish Mask

An interesting piece. Quite unique. We are at a loss to what region this might be from. The facial features are very pronounced and the mask has been nicely colored with various pigments. The mask has some age to it and a nice patina. We are listing as early to mid-20th century but it could very well be older. From a collection of tribal artifacts...

A finely carved mask from the early to mid-1900s made by the Igo People of Southeastern Nigeria. Agbogho, or "maiden spirit" are worn strictly by m...

A beautiful, wonderfully crafted, alluring mask made for Japanese Noh theatre. This mask is handcrafted and carved from natural wood. Ko-omote translates as "little mask" or sometimes "small face." This particular delicate featured mask (her red lips really stand out) is used for main and sometimes secondary roles when the character is a young girl or, in some cases, a supernatural being. What is also interesting about this mask is the blackened teeth which centuries ago, was customary for Japanese women to paint their teeth black after they became married. We believe this mask dates from the mid-to early Showa period, perhaps Mejia. The mask was acquired from an antique mask...

A very engaging mask by the Chowke (Tchokwe) tribe of Southern and Central Africa who today reside primarily in Angola. This mask is intricately carved and is recognizable by the...

A fantastic and somewhat grotesquely strange mask by the Yup'ik (Yupik) aboriginal, indigenous people of South-Western & South Central Alaska. The Yup'ik people, who are related to t...

A fantastic and somewhat playful mask by the Yup'ik (Yupik) aboriginal, indigenous people of South-Western & South Central Alaska. The Yup'ik people, who are related to the Inuit peoples, have a long history of ceremonial mask making. Yup'ik masks were originally and specifically designed by Shamans and made to be worn by these spiritual leaders in Winter tribal dances and sacred ceremonies. Traditionally, the masks were destroyed or discarded after use in these ceremonies. Very few of these masks survived. After Christian contact in the late 19th century, masked dancing was suppressed and the tradition all but died out. As more outsiders settled in Alaska at the turn of the century, masks were made by the Yup'ik people to sell or trade for necessary goods. It is likely that this mask was created some years later for this purpose. In the 20th century, Yup'ik mask had a profound influence on many renowned surrealist artists including, Max Ernst, Joan Miro, Leonora Carrington, Victor Brauner, and most notably Andre Breton who was an avid collector of Yup'ik masks. This fantastic anthropomorphic mask is carved of lighter wood, hand painted and decorated with pigment, and held together with natural fiber. The mask seems to represent some sort of smiling, benevolent spirit or character with its four eyes, bird beak, and cat-like ears. The mask is from a French collection. We were told that this mask, as well as others in the collection we have listed, was acquired originally in the 1950s-1960s in Alaska and the Yukon territory in Canada but as we have no way to verify or authenticate this. Please note we are listing the masks as decorative and not as actual tribal artifacts...

A striking carved and painted mask in the tradition of the Native Indian tribes from Pacific Northwest Coast by David Frankel in 1994. The mask...

A small warrior spirit mask Northwest Coast Carved and polychrome decorated mask with horse hair, Hand carved by Charlie Mickey (1910-1988), Hesquiah...

Pacific Northwest native raven sculpture by Emile Thibert, Canadian, circa 1990s. Signed and dedicated to the original owners underneath. Emile Thiber...

This very elegant Dan mask is well-proportioned with a long protruding mouth from Ivory Coast, Africa. It dates back to the 1950s. The base is included in the price. Dan masks have...

Dan Mask from Ivory Coast, Africa,, MID 20TH CENTURY.. gREAT COLOR / PATINA..

Splendid Kpélié Mask, Sénoufo population, Ivory Coast 1950 Kpélié Mask, wood covered with copper Dimensions 36.5 x 14.5 cm / 14.17 x 5.51 inches The populations speaking the Sénouf...