МАЭ № 211-6

Woman's mask

Tlingit

before 1890

wood, paint, leather

Width in cross section - 13 cm; width - 18 cn; height - 22 cm

When a Tlingit girl reached puberty, the shaman pierced her lower lip and inserted a small decoration (a labret) into it. As the girl grew, the labret was changed several times for bigger ones. A noble rich Tlingit woman wore a large labret that reached 5-6 cm in diameter. The labret was a symbol of noble origin and wealth, and also served as an amulet that protected the woman from the evils spirits, Slaves were not allowed to wear labrets.

Ethnography of America