Nauyat Nunavut Inuit Whalebone Carving --Two Narwahl on Base

Regular price $95.00

This multi-piece fossilized whalebone and tusk Inuit carving is described as from Nuayat on the underside of its base, which is located on Baffin Island, the largest island in the Arctic Archipelago and in the territory of Nunavut, a region widely known for whalebone carvings by indigenous artists.  The artist of this piece is also named--as A. Angotitar I believe--but I have not had luck tracing this name. 

The sculpture features two narwhal--the larger presumably a male, the smaller a female-- on carved bone posts, which happily one can turn and rearrange as desired (the bone posts are easily removed from the undersides of the narwhal and holes in base, and are interchangeable), though I do believe the first photo documents more or less the intended configuration. The long, spiral-carved narwhal tusk will also fit into the front hole of either creature; I am sure there were once two of them, but one is long lost--reflected in the price of this piece. But as only about 15 percent of female Narwhal grow a tusk (and when they do it is typically is smaller than a male tusk, with a less noticeable spiral), one could just decide that she was meant to be tusk-less!

I think it is quite a beautiful, graceful and tender piece, which I'd guess dates to the mid-20th century or so. Aside from the likely missing second tusk, it is in very good condition, with imperfections to the bone I presume original to the piece.

Overall dimensions approx 10 1/2" l x 4 1/2" w x 3" t. Base measures 8 1/2" l x 2 5/8" w x 3/4" thick. Larger narwhal is 6 3/4" long without tusk; smaller 4 3/8" long.