Museum of Contemporary Circumpolar Art (MCCA)

Carved in wod and imbued with the Sun, Moon and the Shaman's helping dogs, the mask embodies the unseen forces of wind, storm, and breath that shape the life in the North. Rather than presenting weather as a passice backdrop, the mask reflects an understanding of atmosphere as a living presence - evoking a time when weather was understood as a living being with intention and a voice. Through its layered forms, it becomes a ceremonial mediator between human ad spirit realms, where the Shaman listens, negotiates, and seeks balance with the unseen powers that govern sky and sea. The celestial elements and guiding animal spirit suggest a cosmology in which humans remain in dialogue with powerful natural forces. Through its imbedded imagery, the work speaks to cycles of change, survival, and reslience, reminding us climate, air and seasonal rhythms are active participants in cultural memory and the ongoing relationship between people and the living world. From the book: Eskimomasken aus Alaska by Jean-Loup Rousselot, Berbard Abel, José Pierre, Catherine Bihl, page 194 Painted wood, wooden ring; originally, the "joints," consisting of drilled slides, were adorned with feathers; height 27.5 cm Found in St. Michael, but likely originated in Stebbins, St. Michael, on Norton Sound. Delivered by a representative of the Alaska Commercial Company around 1880. Lowie Museum of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley Around 1880, the great Shaman Apaguk left Nelson Island one day and went to Stebbins. After a two-day fast, he personally created the head with its human features and the complementary elements. He left the assembly of the individual parts to the local sculptor. He then used the mask in a "weather treatment" séance, imploring the sun and moon to send fair weather. Both celestial bodies are represented on the mask by means of radiating wing-like elements. The shaman's presence is suggested by two long arms. The dog heads symbolize helper spirits who accompany the shaman on his otherworldly journey to the stars. To captivate the villagers gathered in the Qasgiq and prove his legendary reputation, he triumphantly jerked his head, and as if by magic, the mask "stuck" to his face. This made a tremendous impression on the spectators. Looking at the back of the mask, one can see that it is equipped with a peg, which the shaman held between his teeth. It was simply a clever magic trick.