Tlingit mask

A mask from the Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. It depicts the features of a female ancestor’s face and the clan’s coat of arms patterns, from which it is possible to deduce, for example, the age, gender and social status of the deceased person. Prestigious women had lip ornaments, labrets; the elderly and influential had the largest ones. Young girls only had a small labret or no lip ornament at all. The open position of the lips suggests talking or singing. The mask dates back to before the 1850s and, therefore, its colours are pigments derived from nature. These masks were worn by both women and men at potlatch celebrations commemorating dead relatives.

VK50