Lyle Tayson (American, 1924 - 2014) "Tlingit Tribe" Signed lower left. Original Watercolor painting on Paper.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting is the original which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 15c Tligit Tribe stamp issued September 25, 1980.

The mythological history of the Tlingits goes back to a time when everyone lived in darkness in a village at the mouth of the Nass River. The sun, moon and stars were kept in a box by the wily Raven, a supreme deity whose trickery eventually put them in the sky to set a chaotic world in order. Today, the Tlingits inhabit the islands and coastal lands of southern Alaska from Yakutat Bay to Cape Fox. Their beliefs have changed somewhat but, as the Tlingits themselves will say, "To understand us, you must know our myths, our stories." Mask making, for example, is rather formal, utilizing subtle sculptural forms to lure the shaman's spiritual helpers. The Tlingit shamans traditionally owned and wore a large number of masks in performing their duties as healers, exorcists and seers. In fact, the shamans possessed the finest representations of the human face, although their masks often symbolized animals and other natural phenomena. Through the centuries, the Tlingits developed a tradition of providing a face for every object in their material world, be it animate or inanimate. And these faces were the essence of their masks. Carvers were highly respected for their gift, the power to see what others could not and to transform their visions into impressive and instantly recognizable images. To this end, Tlingit masks often had mouths and eyes that opened and closed and eyebrows that rose and descended, giving them an eerily expressive quality.

Image Size: 20 x 18 in.
Overall Size: 30.25 x 22.25 in.
Unframed.
(B05943)

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