This awe-inspiring carved Bear and Eagle mask is a collaboration between two premier First Nations artists, carving today as a married couple. Their work is highly sought after and each artist is well-known for incredible detail, fine workmanship, and intense subject matter.

This top-notch mask is about 14h x 10w x 7d with a fringe of hand-worked traditional red cedar bark at the edges, falling to 32 inches. Priced at $8500. Both Bear and Eagle clutch salmon. Salmon eggs are depicted tumbling on the Bear’s left side. This piece boasts several beautiful abalone shell “Mother of Pearl” inlays.

In First Nations indigenous cultures, hand-worked red cedar bark traditionally is dried out after pulling it from the tree in the spring. A lengthy process using hand tools softens and shreds the bark so that artwork adornment, clothing, and regalia can be made from it. In times past, these tools traditionally were either made of yew wood or whale bone.

This beautiful mask is a celebration of three essential species in Northwest Native life since time immemorial!

The Bear is a well-respected animal for the Coast Salish peoples, and in art the animal often refers to the elders who are the protectors of a community. It is believed that the bear taught ancestors how fish for salmon and harvest berries, and therefore are a symbol of giving strength to families. Often noted in Salish legends, a Mother Bear can be not only gentle and loving with her cubs, but also vicious against threats in order to protect her young. Because of this nurturing essence, it is thought that the Bear can understand human speech and thought.

Eagles figure prominently in the mythology of nearly every Native American tribe. In most Native cultures, eagles are considered medicine birds with impressive magical powers, and play a major role in religious ceremonies. Because eagles are considered such a powerful medicine animal, the hunting or killing of eagles was restricted by many taboos. Eating eagle meat was forbidden in many tribes; in some legends, a person who eats eagle meat is transformed into a monster. Eagle was an important clan crest on the Northwest Coast, and eagle designs can often be found carved on totem poles, ceremonial staffs, and other traditional Northwestern art.

Salmon are an extremely important animal to both the lifestyle and the spirituality of many Native American cultures, especially the tribes of the Northwest Coast and the Columbia River. Like buffalo, salmon willingly give themselves up as food for humans in many Northwest Native American myths, and therefore these fish hold a special position of honor and respect. There are many taboos and other tribal rules regarding salmon, so as to avoid offending them, and special Salmon Dances and First Salmon Ceremonies are celebrated at the beginning of salmon fishing season throughout the Pacific Northwest region. In Native American artwork and literature, salmon are often used as a symbol of determination, renewal, and prosperity.

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