Transformation mask: Difference between revisions

 

A '''transformation mask''' is a type of [[mask]] used by [[Indigenous peoples of North America|indigenous peoples]] of the [[Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast|Northwest Coast]] and [[Alaska natives|Alaska]] in ritual dances. These masks usually depict an outer, animal visage, which the performer can open by pulling a string to reveal an inner, human face carved in wood. Northwest coast peoples generally use them in [[potlatch]]es to illustrate myths, while they are used by Alaska natives for shamanic rituals.