#21 • Yup'ik Polychrome Wood Spirit Mask - Cyril Chanar

Part of December 2025 Premier Auction (live auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $425.00

Status: Sold

Category: Ethnographic Objects

A c. 1973 polychrome wooden spirit mask with black, white, and rust pigments crafted by Yup'ik artist Cyril Chanar (1908-1977) of Toksook Bay, Nelson Island, Alaska; the artist has works within the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. The mask features a rounded face suspended by four rods within two bentwood rings, further accented by five effigies and tufts of feathers. Correspondence between the artist and his customer is included. Prepared for display with a sawtooth hanger en verso, the mask measures approximately 10.5" x 3.75" x 11" tall.