A Nunivak Island Polychrome Mask c. 1935 wood, pigments, sinew, fiber The naturalistic, tattooed male face is enclosed by two rings representing heaven and earth. The wooden rings support various inua, or spirit helpers, including a pair of human hands, each with a typically truncated thumb, a pair of human legs, a pair of dissimilar whales, and a puffin's head, among others. These spirit helpers would have been personally curated by the mask's maker, coming into his consciousness in times of fasting or during spirit quests. Provenance: Collected by William E. Scheele (April 4, 1920 – October 10, 1998), former Director of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History from 1949 to 1972. See lot 70244. Exhibited: North by Southwest, The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science, Tallahassee, FL, 2010 Diameter: 23 inches overall HID03101062020 © 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved