#74 • Two Nunivak Island Walrus Tusk Spirit Masks - Olie Olrun

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

High bid $1,000.00

Status: Sold

Category: Ethnographic Objects

Two c.1973 walrus tusk masks of similar design, one musk ox bull, and one wolf. Each mask is suspended with four rods upon a single bentwood ring and accented with six removable effigies, including a seal head, two front flippers, two hind flippers, and a tail; some are further accented with feathers as shown. Both masks are by Olie (Ollie) Olrun (1913-1995) from Mekoryuk, Nunivak Island, Alaska, an artist whose works are held in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. Each has a drilled hole for hanging at the top of the head, and each measures approximately 7" x 8.5" tall.