Presented in this lot are Alaskan Yup'ik Eskimos Dance Fans Collection, circa 1970s to 1990s. The Yupik are a group of Indigenous or Aboriginal peoples of western, southwestern, and southcentral Alaska and the Russian Far East. They are related to the Inuit and Iñupiat people, and are descended from the Thule people who came from Siberia. The Yup’ik people of Alaska use hand-held dance fans, called tegumiak, to emphasize the graceful motions of dancers’ arms during ceremonial dances. Yup’ik dancing is most commonly performed during the winter ceremony known as Kelek, or the Inviting-In Feast. The ceremony, held in the communal men’s house, honors the spirits of game animals and asks them to return to provide nourishment for the community. In contemporary dance, women use fans of woven grass accented with animal fur. The soft edges of the fur serve as specific purpose, as dancers want to avoid ripping the fabric between realms with their fingernails and letting in evil or bad spirits. The four larger dance fans feature dyed woven grass and outstretched caribou fur. The smaller three dance fans also feature dyed woven grass, caribou and possibly fox fur, one has seed beads, yarn and fabric accents. These beautiful handmade dance fans are in very nice condition. Larger fans measure 13" diameter approximately, smaller fans are approximately 9.5" diameter.