Mask: wood

Mask: wood

This Snake mask, made by Cherokee artisan Allen Long, is carved and stained. Different types of masks were traditionally used in Cherokee culture for a variety of ceremonial purposes. Today, masks are still used in ceremonial dances. The images depicted on masks include a variety of animals, often bear or deer, as well as variations on the “booger” mask. Artisans also make masks depicting the seven Cherokee clans. Allen Long (1917-1983) was born and raised in the Big Cove community in Cherokee, North Carolina. When he was 12 years old, Long learned how to make masks from his father, Will West Long (1870-1947), a medicine man and authority on Cherokee cultural traditions.

Long, Allen, 1917-1983

unknown

2009-12-02

13.75" x 8.75" x 5.0"(dimension)

Craft Revival