**Originally Listed At $700**

Luther "Toby" Hughes (Cherokee, 20th century). Booger Mask. Carved wood mask, n.d. Signed on verso. A compelling wooden booger mask hand-carved by Cherokee National Treasure and master carver Luther "Toby" Hughes. Adorned with long tufts of horsehair and 2 goose feathers, the evocative vizard displays petite eyes, a straight nose with drilled nostrils, and a slightly open mouth. In Eastern Cherokee Nation, the booger dance forms an important part of the winter celebration to discourage evil spirits from disrupting the coming growing season. The boogers themselves represent the evil spirits, and they are traditionally portrayed as grotesque faces seeking to fight, chase women, and create general havoc. Following colonization, the booger dancers focused their misdeeds especially on satirizing the insolence, foolishness, and lust of European colonists toward the Cherokee women. Booger masks could be made of wood, gourds, or carved wasp nests. Size: 7" W x 12.2" H (17.8 cm x 31 cm)

Dances were and still are an integral part of Cherokee social and ceremonial life. In the Booger Dance, men wearing ragged clothing and masks interrupted an evening of social dancing. When asked who they were and what they came for, the boisterous intruders gave outlandish names and tried to start fights. Each intruder then performed a solo, often ribald, dance. As the Cherokee believed that illness and death emanated from beyond their settlements, the intruders are thought to have represented outside forces - specifically, European-Americans who encroached on Cherokee homelands and disrupted tribal lifeways. As seen here, Booger masks, made from gourds or wood with fur trimmings, exaggerate human features.

Luther "Toby" Hughes was born in Westville Oklahoma, located near the Arkansas border. He was raised by his full-blood Cherokee grandfather, a member of the Nighthawk Keetoowah Society who taught Toby the traditions, religion, and heritage of the Cherokees. At an early age, Toby began to carve wood that he gathered from the forests throughout his homeland. Equipped with just a knife and the teachings of his grandfather, he soon mastered the traditional art of carving. By cutting away and releasing the images in each piece of cedar or walnut, he creates carvings that give him great joy and help him to express his deep-rooted traditions and beliefs in the old ways of the Cherokee. His creations range from inches-high figurines with incredible detail to traditional masks to large statues that measure several feet in height. This multi-talented artist enjoys working at his cabin tucked away in the woods near the Illinois River. Toby's award-winning artwork has been collected by people across the United States and abroad. He takes pride in his artwork, craftsmanship and Cherokee language skills. He speaks, reads and writes in the Cherokee language, translates old ledgers and documents. He is a traditional herbalist believing in healing the old way. Toby is a registered Cherokee and is Tero-Certified.

Please note this item may fall under the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act and may not be eligible for international shipping. Native American, Alaska Native, & Native Hawaiian objects are only eligible to ship within the United States.

Provenance: private Alamo, California, USA collection, before 2000

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#180541

Signed on verso. Bending, tearing, fraying, and matting to feathers. Otherwise, intact and excellent with nice remaining detail. Hide cord tied to verso for display or wear.