Masque d´esprit - ancêtre "brag"
Mark Eglinton, New York, USA
Description
wood, reddish brown patina, black paint, large bowl-shaped vaulted face with framed eyes, beak-like nose and jagged beard, incised curvilinear ornaments at the coiffure, carved with bird above the forehead, slightly dam., cracks, abrasion of paint, base.
“Brag” masks represent ancestor spirits or mythical beings and have personal names. The spirits of these masks are evoked during important occasions such as the building of a cult house or canoe, or at the initiation of young men. They were even consulted before headhunting raids. After a successful raid, the severed head of the victim was rubbed on the masks so they could drink the blood; the young men likewise drank the blood of the severed head to make them strong and fearless in battle. For such ritual acts, the mask was not attched to a dance costume but to a small frame in the cult house. “Brag” masks were also used to determine the cause of a person’s illness.