Whale-shaped charm,
Inuit (Eskimo), Alaska or Siberia
Marine ivory
H. 5 cm - L. 12 cm
Inuit (Eskimo) whale figure, Alaska or Siberia
H. 2 in - L. 4 ¾ in
Provenance:
- Former private collection, France
Imposing shamanic whale-shaped amulet.
This carved animal figure is distinguished by its exceptional size and attention to anatomical detail, particularly the finely rendered tail.
The mammal depicted is likely a bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), or Greenland whale evolving in the Arctic seas. During the summer, it frequents the waters of the Yukon and Northwest Territories between Alaska and Canada. It can be recognized by its long baleen plates and its long, arched upper jaw, which gave it its name of bowhead whale.
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