A FINE ESKIMO FINGER MASK

Details
A FINE ESKIMO FINGER MASK

Of cylindrical form a human face in the center of each side, one with painted white "upturned" mouth, the other painted red "downturned " framed with two circular bands painted in white, red and blue with black dots, 5 1/8in. (13cm.) high

Lot Essay

Finger masks which also serve as rattles , were worn by women, usually in pairs. Some are copies of the face masks. Both lot 129 and this example were originally trimmed with caribou fur. (See Ray, 1975, pp. 199-200; plates 33-38). This example shows signs of considerable use and would date to the mid nineteenth century.