Kamayura Ceremonial Mask

Mask, 20th century
Kamayura people, Xingu River Basin, Brazil
Fiber, wood, pigment and wax; 37 x 8 in.
Gift of Mr. Michael S. Merrifield
91.22.1 Carved from a single piece of wood this mask was worn and performed during a ceremony by a Kamayura shaman. The long fiber strands are woven into a cap on the reverse side of the mask that was secured over the head. In the front the dangling fiber concealed the wearer's face while still providing visibility. Shamans play an integral role in Kamayura life, bringing balance in times of unrest, curing the sick and communicating with the spiritual world. During the dry season an important ceremony takes place assuring that fish found in the surrounding low water level lakes, streams and rivers will rise to (or in other words be closer to) the surface where they can be easily caught. The visual connection between the mask's use and its function during this crucial time of year when high protein fish is gathered, is seen in the painted repeating diamond shapes that mimic the shape of fish as if one was looking down upon them as they swam. This same design would be repeated upon the shaman's body through the use of body paint. Traps, nets and spears are used by the Kamayura to fish but, probably most interesting is a form of communal hunting that occurs in August and September when a poison called timbo, obtained from beating a cane plant, is released into shallow waters surfacing the fish for easy collection. All images and text under copyright. Pleae contact Collection Department for permission to use.