The Tlingit mask comes from Native American shamans, neighbors of the Inuit of Alaska, who harnessed the spiritual powers of animals through elaborate costumed dances. These Indians of the Northwest Coast were gifted and tireless sculptors. This mask decorated with spikes of horsehair are worn on the forehead by shamans in the exercise of their functions as magician diviners. Their roles are essential within the communities of the northwest coast: through their interventions with supernatural powers, they ensured the healing of the sick, fought sorcerers and protected the village against external aggression.

The masks hold deeper meaning than aesthetic appeal. In many tribes, they facilitated communication with ancestral spirits and channeled magical rituals.

Loosely translated, the poem reads,

"Si je vous tire un peu la langue c’est pour vous montrer la confiance que je vous accorde suivant vos évolutions sur la mer entre les tempêtes et dans les forêts entre les immenses
conifères où s’inscriront vos mythes généalogiques"

(If I stick my tongue out at you a little, it is to show you the trust I have in you following your progress on the sea between storms and in the forests between the immense conifers where your genealogical myths will be inscribed.)

By preserving ancient stories in contemporary form, Vacheron Constantin's artisans honored the universal tradition of passing legends across generations. This remarkable set celebrates our collective need for magic, myth and meaning.