Doll Head Inuit Culture, Alaska

DOLL HEAD
Inuit culture,
Alaska XIXth century
Wood and pearls
H .: 6.5
It keeps three colored pearls. One white with the right nostril, a blue at the right corner of the mouth which refers to the labret and a last red, placed on the right pupil. The cheeks are incised with vertical or horizontal lines referring to facial tattoos. A groove is dug around the entire periphery of the mask. Also, it had to be tied up with fabric or cord coming to accessorize it.
This mask could be the head of a doll as we know them, whose body was made of skin and the face made of wood. They were mostly made by little girls and allowed them to understand the different techniques of creation and working with materials.
Provenance: American Gallery