#2 • Iñupiaq Baleen Basket w/ Ivory Polar Bear Finial - Hubert Koonuk

Part of January 2026 Curiosities Auction (timed auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $800.00

Status: Sold

Category: Ethnographic Objects

A finely woven, round Mid Century Modern-era Iñupiaq baleen basket with dark brown to black coloration and a natural sheen. The well-fitted lid is topped with a handsome carved walrus tusk finial carved in the shape of a polar bear with its seal catch; the underside is signed and numbered 710 by premier baleen basket-maker, the late Hubert Koonuk of Point Hope, AK (1911-1994), while the bottom charger states 'Pt. Hope, Alaska',. The basket measures approximately 3.5" in diameter x 3.25" tall.