Barnabus Arnasungaaq began carving in 1959, working first in caribou antler and horn before turning to stone the following year, when it became more widely available. His earliest muskox figures date to at least 1964, and while his subject matter remained varied throughout his extraordinarily long career, it is this animal that became most closely associated with his name. By the mid-1970s, collectors had taken special interest in his ability to convey both the weight and calm presence of the muskox with remarkable economy of form.

Created when the artist was in his 60s, this large example — measuring 20 inches in length — demonstrates not only his physical stamina, but also his meticulous technique, with hundreds of coarse guard hairs painstakingly incised into the surface. The result is a work that holds its ground through sheer mass and compositional restraint, and invites a kind of physical admiration; one almost cannot help but give his prominent shoulder hump a little rub when passing by.

ND

References: For other large and impressive examples of muskoxen by the artist see First Arts Auction, July 2020, Lot 37 and First Arts, June 2022, Lot 114, as well as and Susan Gustavison, Northern Rock: Contemporary Inuit Stone Sculpture, (Kleinburg: McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1999), cat. 39.