A pair of ceremonial Eskimo masks sold for a total of $4.6 million at the Winter Antiques Show in New York this month. The pair of masks are known as the Donati masks because they once belonged to Surrealist painter Enrico Donati who died in 2008.
The photo above, courtesy of Donald Ellis Gallery, Ontario, shows the "Complex Mask (Donati Studio Mask)" which was created by the Yup'ik Eskimos in the Kuskokwim Region, Alaska, circa 1890-1905. These designs for these masks were inspired by ideas seen in dreams by their holy men.
These masks were in a private collection away from public view for half a century. Donald Ellis, the owner of the gallery that offered them for sale, said it was a record price for Native American art.
The gallery specializes in antique North American Indian art, focusing on Eskimo, Northwest Coast and Eastern Woodlands cultures. The gallery has other similar masks on display showcasing the wide range of expressions and symbolism used by these Eskimo groups.
The Economist recently profiled Ellis, who was in his twenties in Canada when he began buying and selling Native American objects. This seems to be his year. His gallery reported selling 19 objects for a little more than $8 million along with another nine pieces from the catalogue for a further $1.3 million.
Those interested in seeing the masks will be able to see them later this year. They will be part of an exhibit of works by Surrealists called "The Colour of My Dreams: Surrealism and Revolution in Art" at the Vancouver Art Gallery between May 28 and Sept. 25.
Author: Deidre Woollard | Source: Luxist [January 27, 2011]