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Exhibition History"The 45th Annual Winter Antique Show," New York, NY, January 12, 1999 – January 25, 1999.
Art Des Indiens D'Amerique Du Nord Dans La Collection D'Eugene Thaw, Mona Bismarck Foundation, Paris, France, Somogy Editions D'Art, January 21, 2000 - March 18, 2000.
Art of the American Indian: The Thaw Collection, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, March 2, 2010 - May 30, 2010; Minneapolis Museum of Art, Minneapolis, MN, October 24, 2010 - January 9, 2011; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX, April 24, 2011 - September 23, 2011; Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN, December 4, 2011 - February 12, 2012.
Substance of the Stars, Heard Museum, Pheonix, AZ, October 23, 2022 - April 23, 2024
ProvenanceCollected by an unidentified Jesuit Missionary in Western Alaska in 1870 or 1886; Diocese of Wheeling, Wheeling, West Virginia; Pacific Northwest Indian Center, Spokane, Washington; Robert L. Stolper, 1974-75, New York City and Munich, Germany; Andre Nasser, New York City
BibliographyRousselot, Jean-Loup, Bernard Abel, Jose Pierre and Catherine Bihl. Masques Eskimo d'Alaska. Switzerland: Editions Amez, 1991, p.353.
Vincent, Gilbert T. Masterpieces of American Indian Art. New York: Harry Abrams, 1995, p.90.
Perriot, Francoise and Slim Batteux, trans. Arts de Indiens d’Amerique du Nord: Dans la Collection d’ Eugene et Clare Thaw. Paris: Somogy editions e’Art. 1999, p. 148, fig. 117.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.432.
Fognell, Eva. “Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection.” Cooperstown, NY: Fenimore Art Museum, 2010, p. 165.
Fognell, Eva. “Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection.” American Indian Art Magazine 36, no. 4 (Autumn 2011), p. 77, fig. 2.
Fognell, Eva and Alexander Brier Marr, eds. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum, 2nd ed. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2016, p. 482.
Culture
Central Yup'ik
Nepcetat Mask
Datec. 1850
DimensionsOverall: 22 × 33 × 4 3/4 in. (55.9 × 83.8 × 12.1 cm)
Object numberT0231
Credit LineGift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw
Photograph by John Bigelow Taylor, NYC
Label TextNepcetat masks were considered the most powerful of mask. Only shamans who possessed supernatural skills in healing, divining, and calling animals to hunters could use a Nepcetat mask. Three round holes on the top represent sky or ice holes, through which animals move toward the hunter and the human world. Seals appear at the three holes. Nepcetat masks were not discarded after one winter ceremonial cycle, as was the case with other Central Yup’ik masks. After the death of a shaman, Nepcetat masks were often kept in the family.Exhibition History"The 45th Annual Winter Antique Show," New York, NY, January 12, 1999 – January 25, 1999.
Art Des Indiens D'Amerique Du Nord Dans La Collection D'Eugene Thaw, Mona Bismarck Foundation, Paris, France, Somogy Editions D'Art, January 21, 2000 - March 18, 2000.
Art of the American Indian: The Thaw Collection, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, March 2, 2010 - May 30, 2010; Minneapolis Museum of Art, Minneapolis, MN, October 24, 2010 - January 9, 2011; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX, April 24, 2011 - September 23, 2011; Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN, December 4, 2011 - February 12, 2012.
Substance of the Stars, Heard Museum, Pheonix, AZ, October 23, 2022 - April 23, 2024
ProvenanceCollected by an unidentified Jesuit Missionary in Western Alaska in 1870 or 1886; Diocese of Wheeling, Wheeling, West Virginia; Pacific Northwest Indian Center, Spokane, Washington; Robert L. Stolper, 1974-75, New York City and Munich, Germany; Andre Nasser, New York City
BibliographyRousselot, Jean-Loup, Bernard Abel, Jose Pierre and Catherine Bihl. Masques Eskimo d'Alaska. Switzerland: Editions Amez, 1991, p.353.
Vincent, Gilbert T. Masterpieces of American Indian Art. New York: Harry Abrams, 1995, p.90.
Perriot, Francoise and Slim Batteux, trans. Arts de Indiens d’Amerique du Nord: Dans la Collection d’ Eugene et Clare Thaw. Paris: Somogy editions e’Art. 1999, p. 148, fig. 117.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.432.
Fognell, Eva. “Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection.” Cooperstown, NY: Fenimore Art Museum, 2010, p. 165.
Fognell, Eva. “Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection.” American Indian Art Magazine 36, no. 4 (Autumn 2011), p. 77, fig. 2.
Fognell, Eva and Alexander Brier Marr, eds. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum, 2nd ed. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2016, p. 482.
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