Inuit Yup’ik Ceremonial Inverted Figure Mask, Alaska, mid-20th century

Inuit (Yup’ik) Ceremonial Inverted Ceremonial Dance Mask
Carved and polychromed wooden mask depicting an inverted anthropomorphic figure within a bentwood hoop, painted in red, black, green, and cream with dotted pigment decoration. The mask’s expressive face, upturned legs, and outstretched hands represent a shamanic transformation — likely invoking an animal or spirit helper connected with the underworld or inversion of natural order.
Such masks were traditionally created by Yup’ik shamans for Agayuyaraq (winter ceremonies) and used to embody supernatural beings, ancestors, or transformative dreams.
Medium: Carved driftwood, natural pigments, bentwood hoop 
Region: Alaska (Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta)
Condition: Wear, pigment losses, minor cracks, old surface encrustations consistent with age and ceremonial use.
 Dimensions: ___________________
A striking example of Yup’ik shamanic inversion imagery, embodying transformation between human and spirit realms central to Alaskan Inuit ceremonial cosmology.