#80 • A Hooper Bay Bear & Dual Spirit Mask - Ivan O'Brien

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

High bid $650.00

Status: Sold

Category: Ethnographic Objects

A wooden spirit mask carved in the shape of a bear, accented with white, black, and rust-colored paints. The bear is facing downward with a fish grasped in its mouth, and with two women's spirit faces - one smiling and one frowning - upon the bear's spinal column. Six geometric appendages are attached. Unsigned, but identical to known works of Yup'ik artist Ivan O'Brian (1924-1992) from Hooper Bay, Alaska. A hoop and applied string en verso allow for wall hanging, and the entire mask measures approximately 11" x 4.25" x 23" tall.