Images(3)

Mask

Dateearly - mid 20th century

Label TextCane balls have been wound tightly to create a headdress for this mask. It is not known if the balls refer to tufts of hair or not. Pointed teeth represent the practice of filing teeth, a process which tested strength and discipline during the initiation of young men. Access to masks was once highly restricted in Salampasu culture. Mask societies controlled their use, carefully dispensing the right to wear them to warriors who were prosperous and capable. Acquiring masks was a unique investment, giving access to increased knowledge. As one observer commented in 1973, "If older men had invested their wealth in masks, they retained, to their death and beyond, the inside knowledge and honor symbolized by each mask."

Object number81.17.903

ProvenanceCollected by Marc Leo Felix, Brussles, Belgium, in Zaire, 1977-78; sold to Katherine White (1929-1980), Seattle, Washington, 1978; bequeathed to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 1981

Exhibition HistoryBellingham, Washington, The Whatcom Museum of History and Art, Masks: Facing the World, July 30 - November 8, 1987 Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, A Bead Quiz, July 1, 2008 - July 1, 2009

Credit LineGift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company

Dimensions11 1/4 x 9 5/8 x 8 3/4 in. (28.6 x 24.5 x 22.2 cm)

MediumWood, cane, pigment, and raffia