Bone and Ivory
Whalebone as a carving material is very unusual, thus producing unique
forms.
It is washed up along the Arctic shorelines and scoured by the waves
which leaches the living material from it. Often the whalebone has been
lying on the sand for hundreds of years before it is picked up by people in
small boats and taken back to the villages. In prehistoric times, the
whalebone was used for tools.
Parts of the skeleton are dense and others are porous. The combination of
material surfaces allows for exciting and unique sculpture.
The carvings in this exhibit were all done during the 1950’s and 1960’s and
were collected by an art lover when he was working near Shepherd’s Bay in
northern Canada.
He returned to the United States with them in the late 1960’s.
The sculpture depicts animals, spirits and includes tools from the Thule
culture.
Pictured below is a sampling of our sculpture collection.
Click on an image to see a larger version.
Pictured below is a sampling of our sculpture collection.
Click on an image to see a larger version.
Owl on a Perch Artist unknown Area near Spence Bay ca. 1950's whalebone H-11 1/2" L-11" $595 click for another image email for additional images |
Cormorant Archie Slwooko Alaska 2002 walrus tusk H-2 1/2" W-1 1/4" $95 SOLD click for another image |
Alighting Owl Artist Unknown Area near Spence Bay ca. 1950's whalebone H-9" W-14" $995 SOLD click for another image email for detail images |
Artifact A tool from the Thule Culture found near Pangnirtung: ca.1000 AD whalebone H-2" L-10" W-3 1/2" $299 click for another image |
Otter Aaron Oseuk Alaska 2004 walrus ivory H-2 1/2" $155 click for another image |
Greenland Hunter Ole Kreutzman Greenland ca. 1960's walrus tusk H-4 3/4" was $900 now $295 click for another image email for detail images |
Owl David Uglwook Alaska 2002 walrus tusk H-1 1/2" $69 click for another image |
Shaman Composition Artist Unknown Area near Spence Bay ca. 1950's H-10" W-13 1/2" whalebone $495 click for another image |
Muskox Robert Koruluk Alaska H-5/8 L-1 1/8" walrus tusk $39 |
Inuit Face Artist Unknown Area near Spence Bay ca. 1950's H-5 1/2" W-6 1/2" whalebone $295 click for another image |
Sitting Bear Wilson Oozeva Alaska 1999 H-8" W-10" whalebone $695 SOLD click for another image |
Beluga Whale Load Soonagrook Alaska 2003 H-1" L-2 1/2" whale tooth $99 click for another image |
Swan Couple Don Napowhtuk Alaska 2003 H-3/4" L-2" whale tooth $85 click for another image |
Bird of Prey Regilee Piungituq Clyde River, Nunavut, Canada 1995 H-4" ivory $95 click for another image |
Sniffing the Wind Mark Napowhatuk Alaska 2002 walrus tusk H-1 1/2" L-1 3/4"" $145 click for another image |
Bear Cub J.S.Pennatac Alaska 2002 walrus tusk H-7/8" L-1 1/4" $75 click for another image |
Resting Seals Robert Apatiki Alaska 2002 walrus tusk and baleen L-2 3/4" $69 click for another image |
Seal J.S.Pennatac Alaska 2002 walrus tusk H-1/2" L-2 1/4" $39 click for another image |
Puffin Adripn Ungott Alaska 2002 walrus tusk H-2" $95 click for another image |
Canada Goose James Aningayou Alaska 2002 fossil walrus tusk H-2 1/2" $140 click for another image |
On the Ice Archie Slwooko Alaska 2002 walrus tusk L-3 1/4" $175 SOLD click for another image |