UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST, KUGAARUK (PELLY BAY)
Head of a Polar Bear, 1970
ivory, stone, and whalebone, 2.25 x 2 x 2 in (5.7 x 5.1 x 5.1 cm)
unsigned.
unsigned.
Further images
Perhaps the unidentified artist simply chose to carve the head of a swimming bear, but there is a power emanating from the form that suggests to us that this bear’s...
Perhaps the unidentified artist simply chose to carve the head of a swimming bear, but there is a power emanating from the form that suggests to us that this bear’s head might actually be an amulet, either belonging to or found by the artist. Rather than creating a simple base, the artist invested great effort in making something akin to a reliquary to pay proper respect to the bear. The result is an object of both great beauty and spirituality.
Provenance
Norman Hallendy Collection, Ottawa.Exhibitions
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