Customer Reviews

The False Faces of the Iroquois (Civilization of the American Indian)

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This is an exhaustive, classic ethnological study. The author is a Ph.D. from Yale, who at the time of publication (1987) served as a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at SUNY/Albany. The book is a 522 page tome that covers all aspects of false face masks, from carving through use. In addition to providing 24 color and more than 200 B&W photos of wooden and cornhusk masks, the author classifies the types of masks he has observed, describes the personages who the masks represent, and documents rituals in which he has seen the masks used. Ritual songs and positions of maskers during ceremonies are cataloged in the book.

As you might expect, accessories of maskers including rattles (turtle and bark) are not only shown in photographs, but are described with details that include rattle construction. A scholarly treatment of a subject with mystical and religious meaning to some.

Fenton's work is the basis for your sojourn into the False Face Society. His classification of masks based on prominent features such as the nose, mouth, presence of forehead ridges is the foundation for anyone wishing to understand these magnificant cultural pieces. It is not bedside reading; rather, it requires a quick perusal to familiarize yourself with masks. As you study, hold, or look at another mask you will dive deeper and deeper into Fenton's tome.