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Size:  40"w x 5-5""h x 10"d

Materials: Carved redwood driftwood.

The front side is finish carved with torch and wire brush (I wanted to create the effect of layers of time this face comes through).

Bronze Yua “Protector and spirit of the thing” (of my first bronzes) located on back of mask.

Copper wire surrounds bronze mask in the shape of parka ruff, porcelain (teeth, spirits around eyes, & hanging bones), raku (hands & inner voice), wild turkey feathers tipped with down feathers, dentalium shells, pearls, corral, buffalo horn beads, glass beads, oak, walrus ivory, brass rod & wire, deer horn, caribou antler bite plate, rawhide, and acrylic paints.

 

The Meaning of this Yup'ik Mask

“Mecigiuq” means, "It became more visible; he became more able to see” and is the Yup’ik name of this piece. In English, I simply call this piece, “Other Ways of Seeing."

This is a challenge piece with the wood being gifted by fellow artist & friend Rick Bartow. I did the rough carving in Rick’s studio and did all the finish work in my own studio.

This is a functional mask having many deep meanings and represents a person living with the veil of blindness (dentalium shells), yet having the gift and openness to see in many other ways. By making a deeper connection to the other senses, a blind person can see better - in more ways - then the average person.

• There are 7 pairs of spirit eyes and hands moving upward on this piece representing “Mecigiuq” the ability so see better or other ways of seeing.
• The white spirit faces around each pair of eyes represent the ancestors helping and guiding this person to use each of these gifts in a good way.
• The teeth indicate that this is a Tuunraq mask or shaman’s helping spirit mask having a specific meaning. The teeth represent the knowledge that the gifts must be respected and used well. If the gifts are not used well, they will consume the person with problems caused by misuse and lack of respect the gifts provide.
• The Raku face within the teeth represent the inner voice that guides this person to use the gifts in a good way.
• Spirit goggles are painted around each pair of eyes representing stars in the universe and the ability of each gift to function in the spirit world.
• The thumb-less hands have spiritual doorways for each of these gifts represented.
• These thumb-less hands remind us that we cannot catch all the game or use all of our resources, and so they encourage us to be good stewards of the Nuna “land”.
• The white dots on the hands represent our ancestors moving through our hands as we dance.
• Wing feathers of wild turkeys are used as they mimic a hawk and are a great defense mechanism. Traditionally, raptor feathers would have been used in this particular piece.
• Red in the eyes, nose, and mouth create spiritual doorways that ancestors can pass through when the mask is in use.
• Feather tips are painted red creating another spiritual connection and are trademarks of the artist. Traditionally, red pigments would have been mixed with human blood creating the conduit for spirits to participate through the dancer and mask.
• The white dots on the feather also represent our ancestors as stars moving toward the universe.
• Ivory labret faces show power and indicate that this is a masculine spirit.
• Elongated labrets (deer horn) have bones hanging from them (are noise makers) keeping evil spirits from going through the mask during ceremony or dance.
• A piece of rawhide on top of the mask is the hanging point and is traditional for larger hanging pieces so it could be danced.
• The bronze face on the back of the mask represents the Yua, which is the spirit and protector of this mask. It has a copper wire parka ruff.
• The spiritual outline of the Yua (representing stars) terminates at the mouthpiece where the dancer holds the mask with his/her teeth. This represents the spirit of the mask who protects the person dancing with this mask.
• A smaller walrus ivory spirit is the power protecting the Yua of the mask.
• The tassels of dentalium shell are traditional tassels you would find on an Alaskan Yup’ik parka.
• The red line from the face to the mouthpiece represents the bloodline and spirit of the mask going through the dancer.
• The mouthpiece is carved to fit a person’s mouth and is made of caribou bone.