Handmade Hide and Fur Mask with Wooly Beard, Presumed Nunamiut, Alaskan folk art tray is wonderfully worn with a

is wonderfully worn with a fantastic reddish-brown patina and a great straight handle

and makes me want to send more handwritten letters in order that I might receive some back to open with it

I believe there was once a metal end-cap attached to the end of the handle with a loop for hanging

dates I believe to the late 1800s

Handmade Hide and Fur Mask with Wooly Beard, Presumed Nunamiut, Alaskan folk art tray is wonderfully worn with aThis mask is one of the most extraordinary things I've had in my possession, for sure a stunning, exquisitely crafted object that I find unbelievably beautiful and powerful. I have done a fair amount of research, which has led me to believe that it is Native Alaskan, most likely made by a Nunamiut mask maker from the Anaktuvuk Pass though I am not 100% certain, and indeed, this and the two others I have are superior to any others I have seen.