Yup'ik masks: Carvings depicting distorted spirits' faces dreamed up by shamans in Alaska
These masks, known for their distortion and asymmetry, are one of the oldest kinds of art in southwest Alaska.
The Yup'ik people, whose ancestors arrived in southwestern Alaska around 800 years ago, are known for their elaborate and often-fantastical-looking masks. But this artistic tradition was nearly eradicated in the late 1700s, as Russian missionaries likened the masks and their associated ceremonies to witchcraft.
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