J.IIC-CG VOLUME 18 (1993)
The Examination and Replication of a Tsimshian Stone Mask from the North Pacific Coast
The examination and replication of a stone mask from the Tsimshian village of Kitkatla are described. The mask, collected in 1879 and owned by the Canadian Museum of Civilization, has a twin which was collected in 1872 at Metlakatla and is now in the Musée de l’Homme in Paris. The two masks fit snugly together and the goal was to reunite them through replicas. The mask is made of soapstone with areas of red and green pigment which were identified by X-ray diffraction as iron oxide red and green earth (celadonite or glauconite). No paint vehicle (binding medium) was detected by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Replication by direct moulding of the mask was considered unsafe. A three-dimensional polyurethane foam model was machined using photogrammetric contour plots as guides. The model was finished by hand, cast in epoxy resin using a silicone rubber mould, and inpainted to match the colour and texture of the original.
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