142 MASKS AND LABRETS. 



a profile view of the labret, the lower part being that which was within 

 the month. Beads were attached to the labret only or chiefly on cere- 

 monial occasions. 



L3002 (Plate XXVIII, Fig. 73).— Aleutian death mask obtained in a 

 rock-shelter, near the cave previously mentioned, where only a single 

 body had been laid. The locality is near Delaroff Harbor, just outside 

 the southeast point of entrance, Uuga Island, Shumagin Group, Alaska. 

 The original is 14 inches high and 13£ wide, excluding the convexity. 

 The front and both profiles are shown. It will be observed that the 

 two sides are not ornamented alike, and it may be added that, through 

 exposure or pressure, the dead and corky wood has become somewhat 

 warped. The origiual bears faint traces of red aud green color. 



7604 (Plate XXIX, Figs. 74).— Aleutian death mask obtained from 

 the cave or rock-shelter of Akuafih at Delaroff Harbor, by Capt. 

 Charles Riedell, in 1S68, and presented to the United States National 

 Museum by W. H. Dall. The size of the original is 12^ inches high aud 

 10 inches wide, disregarding the convexity. Slight traces of color re- 

 main upon it. The right ear remains, but the other is lost. The teeth 

 were represented by single pegs, inserted between the lips, across the 

 middle of which a black line was drawn to separate, in appearance, the 

 upper from the lower set of teeth. 



7946 (Plate XXIX, Figs. 75).— Aleutian death mask from the same 

 locality, presented to the United States National Museum in 1868 by 

 Dr. T. T. Minor. It is 15f inches high by 10 wide, disregarding the 

 convexity. 



In all these masks the nostrils are pierced vertically, and the mouth 

 horizontally. They were held in the mouth by a cross-bar between the 

 teeth, which generally shows marks of biting. As the ends of this bar 

 for greater strength are put clear through the mask, and are visible 

 below aud behind the outer corners of the mouth, they might iu the 

 figures be mistaken for an imitation of lateral labrets, which is not the 

 intention. Most of them retain traces of red coloration, produced by 

 red oxide of iron, which occurs in combination with clay, forming a sort 

 of red chalk formerly much used for ornamentation before the whites 

 introduced vermilion. The green coloration was produced by grinding 

 up a kind of mycelium, of a bright green color (Peziza), which occurs in 

 rotten birch wood ; it was used either alone or in combination with a 

 white chalky earth, to give it body. In the latter case it has a bluish 

 tint in the green. Charcoal and oil were used for black, and the above 

 white earth for white. Blue carbonate of copper, which is found on the 

 Kuskokwim River, and is an article of trade with the tribes along the 

 coast, aud graphite from near Norton Sound were also used for color- 

 ing with, but were too rare to be had in most cases. The red bark of 

 a resinous tree, perhaps the. Sitka spruce or hemlock, was also used for 

 coloring wooden articles; a bit of the bark being wet with saliva and 

 rubbed on the clean fresh surface of the wood. The root of a plant 



