Here's - Center for Puppetry Arts

Macnair, Peter
L.
Down from the
shimmering sky :
masks of the
Northwest Coast
E78.N78 M32
1998 1998
Sky presents two centuries of
powerful, striking masks
madeby First Nations artists
on the Pacific Northwest
Coast. Some depict animals
and supernatural creatures
such as Grizzley Bear and
Thunderbird, while others are
human face masks
representing ancestral spirits
which descended from the
heavens. The use of masks in
traditional dance ceremonies
has long played a vital role in
preserving the stories,
priviledges, status and
responsibilities of their owners.
Robert joseph's essay is an
intimate and insightful look into
the meaning and potency of
masks from the viewpoint of a
Native person. In his text,
Peter Macnair, surveys the
four dimensions of the cosmos
as precieved by the Native
peoples of the Northwest
Coast and displayed in their
masks: the Sky World, the
Mortal World, the Undersea
English
University of
Washington Press