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Native American Noohmahl Mask Nootka people, Pacific Northwest Coast, North America 9 inches, painted wood with red fiber crest The Noohlmahl, or fool dancers, are buffons in the Hamatsa ceremony that dress in dirty, ragged clothes and threaten the crowd into behaving properly, perhaps a bit like Hell’s Angels at a rock concert. These ugly looking characters often have a large, protruding nose. They would carry a club and would occasionally break things in the meeting hall. This mask belonged to Chris Miller, a noted collector of artifacts of the Pacific Northwest, who believes it to be Nootka from the earliest part of the 20th century. The Nootka are now known formally as the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Nation and live on Vancouver Island. This particular mask is illustrated in the book, "Masks from Around the World." SOLD
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