REGION: North America
COUNTRY: Greenland (Denmark)
YEAR PRINTED: 1961
VALUE: 35 ore
This stamp was issued by Denmark in 1961 for Greenland (Kalatdlit Nunat in Greenlandic). The stamp depicts a masked story dance of the indigenous Kalaallit Inuit people of Greenland. The dance, called Uaajeerneq, is a form of storytelling and entertainment.
REGION: North America
COUNTRY: Greenland (Denmark)
YEAR PRINTED: 2002
VALUE: 4.75 kroner
This stamp was issued by Denmark in 2002 for Greenland (Kalatdlit Nunat in Greenlandic). The stamp depicts a mask of the indigenous Kalaallit Inuit people of Greenland, and is probably made for use in Uaajeerneq, a form of storytelling and entertainment.
TITLE: Kalaallit Inuit Mask
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: North America
COUNTRY: Greenland
SUBREGION: Western Greenland
ETHNICITY: Kalaallit Inuit
DESCRIPTION: Distorted story-telling mask
CATALOG ID: NAGL001
MAKER: Unknown maker
CEREMONY: Uaajeerneq
AGE: ca. 1980s
MAIN MATERIAL: red cedar wood
OTHER MATERIALS: animal fur; pigment; sperm whale tooth
Uaajeerneq (pronounced ūa-ayernerk) is an ancient ritual in which an individual dresses in a mask and possibly a woman’s clothing and sings, drums, and dances for the entertainment of the tribe. The dance drama also served to reinforce traditional Inuit values and teach the young lessons about survival and morality. It was formerly part of the Aasivik, a summer gathering of distant tribes that resolved important social issues.
This mask originates with the Kalaallit Inuit, the largest indigenous group on the massive island of Greenland and inhabitants of its western portion. Today, the Tunumiit Inuit of eastern Greenland are the most active practitioners of Uaajeerneq, although the traditional masquerade is increasingly replaced by less expensive face painting.
REGION: North America
COUNTRY: Greenland (Denmark)
YEAR PRINTED: 1977
VALUE: 9 kroner
This stamp was issued by Denmark in 1977 for Greenland (Kalatdlit Nunat in Greenlandic). The stamp depicts a mask of the indigenous Kalaallit Inuit people of Greenland, and is probably made for use in Uaajeerneq, a form of storytelling and entertainment.
