Eskimo Art Wood and Feather Yup’ik Dance Fans

Eskimo Art Wood and Feather Yup’ik Dance Fans

Eskimo peoples, particularly the Yup’ik, use fans in their narrative dances. Often woven from grass with fur attachments, this pair is made from wood with feathers. Made to look like snowy owl feathers, these are, instead, white feathers with paint or dye used to simulate the markings of said owls, which are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

The wooden hoops, a common theme in Eskimo objects, are bound together with jute-like material.

Fans are each approximately 14 1/2 inches across and 9 1/2 inches high.