A Technical Study of Arctic Pigments and Paint on Two 19th-Centuryyup'ik Masks

This article presents the results of a technical study of the paint layers on two 19th-century Yup'ik masks and raw pigments from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. The materials and techniques of manufacture were investigated to inform decision-making regarding optimal conservation and restoration. Information on materials and methods used by the Yup'ik is reviewed, and results of analysis are described. The paint samples taken from the masks and from raw pigments show that both are comprised mainly of natural minerals and earth colors. One of the black raw pigments was found to be a mixture of carbon particles, heated vegetable oils and resin, and clay. The pigments were applied without detectable organic binders, and their application is more complex than is described in available literature and ethnographic reports.