Bear Mask
attributed to Charley George, Sr., Bear Mask, ca. 1920, red cedar, paint, and beaver fur (recent replacement), The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection, © artist or other rights holder, 88.43.2
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- Title
Bear Mask
- Artist
attributed to Charley George, Sr. (Kwakwaka'wakw, 1889-?)
- Date
ca. 1920
- Medium
red cedar, paint, and beaver fur (recent replacement)
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
12 in x 9 in x 20 1/4 in
- Collection Area
Native American Art
- Category
Northwest Coast
Ceremonial and Ritual Objects
- Object Type
mask
- Cultural Group
Kwakwaka'wakw
- Credit Line
The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection
- Accession Number
88.43.2
- Copyright
© artist or other rights holder
- Terms
Northwest Coast Native American styles
The grizzly bear is one of the important crest animals of the Kwagiutl. Masks such as this one were worn in the Tlasula ceremony, which dramatizes the original acquisition of a crest animal by the ancestors of the Kwagiutl. This mask, with its rather blocky carving style, has been attributed to Charley George, Sr., a carver from the community of Blunden Harbor.