This mask is a Northwest Coast Tlingit tribal mask. I am uncertain of its use, but visually I was attracted to its texture, color and presence. Masks have been used by indigenous people to receive the entry of the spirit of the animal, in this case the bear, and allow it to infuse the wearer with its essence and give the wearer certain powers of the animal. Although I am uncertain of the use of this particular mask, a bear mask might be utilized to bring strength or cunning to the person wearing it during a ceremony, personifying a bear spirit while reenacting a tribal story or a myth. There was always a purpose for the use of a particular mask, and its use was often for dancers to impersonate supernatural beings or spirits. I find masks intriguing and mysterious because of the nature of their construction, visual presence and purpose. Along with dances and other ritualistic behavior, people have used masks for centuries to help them travel between this world and the spirit world.