Spirit Faces: Contemporary Masks of the Northwest Coast

Wyatt, Gary

ISBN 10: 1550541455 / ISBN 13: 9781550541458

Published by Douglas & McIntyre, Vancouver, B. C., 1994

About this Item

Minor edge and corner wear; lightly scuffed and scratched; spine is gently creased as well as the front of the wrapper; some light shelf wear; overall a very crisp and clean used copy! Full-color pictorial wrapper with yellow lettering. 135 very clean unmarked and uncreased historical and informative pages nicely enhanced by full-color photographs and illustrations! "These breathtakingly beautiful and powerful masks depict creatures (such as Eagle or Killer Whale), natural elements and forces (such as Moon or Weather), humans, and supernatural beings (such as Thunderbird or the Chief of the Undersea). Masks are an important part of ceremonial life on the Northwest Coast; they make the supernatural world visible and bring it to life in dance dramas performed at feasts and potlatches, or at winter ceremonies held by secret societies. Some masks embody mythology or history. Others depict shamanic experiences, or are portrait masks that represent personal experience. The most elaborate are transformation masks, which are used to display the transition from one form to another, such as Wolf to Human. At the high point of the dance, the dancer will open the outer mask to reveal another one inside. The introduction by Gary Wyatt outlines the place of art inside Northwest Coast societies and the place of Northwest Coast art in the outside art world. He also explains the importance, meaning and ceremonial use of masks. Each mask is accompanied by the artist's own words describing its creation and meaning.".

Seller Inventory # 051657

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Spirit Faces: Contemporary Masks of the Northwest Coast
• Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre, Vancouver, B. C.
• Publication Date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1550541455
• ISBN 13: 9781550541458
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Desmond

About this title

Synopsis

These breathtakingly beautiful and powerful masks depict creatures (such as Eagle or Killer Whale), natural elements and forces (such as Moon or Weather), humans, and supernatural beings (such as Thunderbird or the Chief of the Undersea). Masks are an important part of ceremonlal life on the Northwest Coast; they make the supernatural world visible and bring it to life in dance dramas performed at feasts and potlatches, or at winter ceremonies held by secret societies. Some masks embody mythology or history. Others depict shamanic experiences, or are portrait masks that represent personal experience. The most elaborate are transformation masks, which are used to display the transition from one form to another, such as Wolf to Human. At the high point of the dance, the dancer will open the outer mask to reveal another one inside.

The introduction by Gary Wyatt outlines the place of art inside Northwest Coast societies and the place of Northwest Coast art in the outside art world. He also explains the importance, meaning and ceremonial use of masks. Each mask is accompanied by the artist's own words describing its creation and meaning.