Dance Mask, Fastened To A Gorget
date: label: Accession Date
content: 9 Feb 1882
name: label: Collector
content: Edward W. Nelson
label: Donor Name
content: Edward W. Nelson
notes: label: Notes
content: FROM CARD: "SIMILAR SPECIMENS, CAT. NOS. 56,493; 89,817, 818. WING SHAPED SMALL MASK, MAN IN CENTER PAINTED RED. SCALLOPED BORDER IN RED WITH ANIMAL AND BOAT FIGURES IN BLACK. HUMAN FACE WITH ENAMEL TEETH FITS OVER IT. MASK HAS BECOME DETACHED FROM THE GORGET. INVENTORIED 1977. 64230 LOANED TO RENWICK 8/6/81. RETURNED 8/1983. MASK AND GORGET, CA. 1850-80. ESKIMO; POINT BARROW, ALASKA. WOOD, BRAIDED CORD, TEETH, RED AND BLACK PAINT, IRON NAILS. MASK: 9 X 5 1/2 X 2 1/2 (22.8 X 13.9 X 6.3) GORGET: 4 7/8 X 19 X 1/2 (12.4 X 48.2 X 1.2). NMNH 64230; COLLECTED BY EDWARD W. NELSON. IN POINT BARROW MASKS SUCH AS THIS ONE WERE WORN IN A CEREMONY TO MARK THE END OF THE WHALING SEASON. WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, CREWMEN DANCED IN MASKS AND GORGETS. THE LARGE FIGURE DEPICTED IN THE CENTER OF THIS GORGET IS THE LEGENDARY KIKAMIGO, WHO CONTROLLED WHALES AND OTHER MARINE CREATURES. LOAN: CROSSROADS SEP 22 1988. ILLUS.: CROSSROADS OF CONTINENTS CATALOGUE; FIG.444, P.308. (GORGET). FIG.425, P. 301. (MASK). LOAN RETURNED: JAN 21 1993." Crossroads of Continents caption for mask describes it: "This mask has a grooved outer rim for securing a hood, a ruff, ... teeth, a mustache, and black marks on its chin and across its eyes, which Murdoch (1892:368) called the "whale man's mark." It was worn with a gorget featuring the whale-holding giant Kikamigo." Crossroads caption for gorget notes: The notched-edged gorget ... is part of a ceremonial mask and gorget set ... depicting whaling scenes and birds (crosses) surrounding a giant man holding whales in his hands [Kikamigo] ...."
label: Notes
content: On exhibit in NMNH Sant Ocean Hall. 2014 exhibit caption identifies this as Inupiaq wooden dance mask and gorget: "Worn in ceremonies of thanksgiving, this mask of spruce wood and caribou teeth sits atop a decorative breastplate (gorget). Paintings on the gorget show whaling crews in umiaks (Inupiat skin boats) and a guardian spirit "Kikamigo," holding a whale in each hand ...."
label: Record Last Modified
content: 1 Mar 2024
label: Specimen Count
content: 2
place: label: Place
content: Cape Barrow / Kuskokwim River, Alaska, United States, North America
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Eskimo, Inupiaq
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 82A00003
label: USNM Number
content: E64230-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Mask / Gorget
physicalDescription: label: Unknown - Mask
content: 22.8 cm
label: Unknown - Mask
content: 13.9 cm
label: Unknown - Mask
content: 6.3 cm
label: Unknown - Gorget
content: 12.4 cm
label: Unknown - Gorget
content: 48.2 cm
label: Unknown - Gorget
content: 1.2 cm