US Decorative Mask: "Disappearing Salmon Man"

This US Inuit People mask was carved by Tresham Gregg, who entitled his mask "Disappearing Salmon Man".

An Inuit legend serves as the basis for this mask. There was once an old man, with one son and many daughters. In a hunting accident, the son fell into a a lake. He said to his sisters, "Now the salmon are beginning to eat my belly." He sank into the lake and became a salmon. He went with the other salmon to the sea to grow fat.

His father, now having no son, was forced to do his own hunting. When he returned to their old hunting grounds, he thought of his son, and began to weep. But his son, coming up from the sea with the other salmon, saw his father weeping. The son swam to the boat and grabbed the paddle with which his father steered. His father was greatly frightened at this, and drew his paddle out of the water. When he put his paddle in the water a second time, the son again swam up to the boat. Again the father tried to draw in his paddle when the son took hold of it, but this time he could not move it. The father then drew it quite slowly to the surface, in such a way that he drew his son up with it. And then the son became a man again, and hunted for many years to feed his kin.

Gregg grew up in Haines, Alaska, and developed a great appreciation for Alaskan Native art. Gregg's art combines "spiritism," animism and shamanism. He makes woodcarvings, totem poles, masks, cast bronze sculpture, silk screen prints and talismanic silver jewelry.
Source:
http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/Anarteq-Eskimo.html http://tresham.com/