МАЭ № 633-31/2

Figure of a river otter with the head of a spirit

Chugach

late 18th - early 19th century

Russian circumnavigations and half round-the-world sea expeditions

wood, paint, sealskin, iron, brass, glass beads

length 75 cm, width 51.5 cm; head of the spirit: height 15 cm, width 11.3 cm, thickness 7.2 cm

This figure of a river otter was used during shamanistic rituals. The inside of the figure is hollowed out and a carved wooden head of a man is affixed to the inside. Two doors are attached at the sides. If they are closed one sees a complete figure of an otter, but when they are open one sees the head of the spirit of the otter in human form. The river otter was thought to be a shamanistic animal. Thanks to its patronage a shaman was able to understand the speech not only of the animals, birds, fish and plants, but also that of the spirits.

Ethnography of America