The maskpresented in the museum’s collection is an object of fine bronze plastic art, probably dating back to the 17th–18th centuries, but possibly of earlier origin. The rectangular object with rounded edges depicts the image of an old man with large facial features, well-drawn beard and eyes. The reverse side of the object is concave. There are traces of a broken attachment on top. The product was cast in a special mold.

Similar items have been known since the Stone Age. The masks depicted spirits and patron gods, and served as a personification of higher powers. Not everyone could wear them, it was a characteristic item of shamans and priests. In Western Siberia in the Bronze Age, such items were worn by warriors. In the course of archaeological research, quite a lot of masks were collected, some of which have well-traced images of helmets and parts of armor.

At the turn of the Bronze and Iron Ages, Kulai cult casting became widespread, distinguished by both the quality of manufacture and the artistry of the images. At the same time, the Permian casting style was formed in the Urals, which later spread to the Finno-Ugric peoples of the Far North and experienced a number of transformations there. In the Middle Ages, the Turkic traditions of cult casting came to Western Siberia, the objects of which continued to remain attributes of warriors and priests.

In the middle of the 16th century, the Islamization of the Turkic population of the region began, and the cult casting as a characteristic of paganism began to be destroyed. This process continued after the arrival of Russians and Orthodoxy at the end of the 16th century. However, neither the Islamic preachers nor the Russian missionaries made much effort to spread their faith among the indigenous peoples of the North living in the tundra zone. The latter still retain pagan beliefs, sacred places and objects of small cult plastics in everyday use.

Perhaps this mask belongs to the spiritual culture of the Khants of the 17th–18th centuries, who could come to the territory of the Irtysh region for trade purposes and leave this object there.