As noted in Lot 60, whale bone carving experienced a brief but vibrant flourishing in the 1960s and 1970s, before declining due to mounting regulations, archaeological concerns, and changing material preferences. Like the Drum Dancer in Lot 60, the present work recalls this inventive period in Eastern Arctic communities, where artists embraced the expressive possibilities of whale bone.

Here, a porous section has been selected to shape the standing figure, while a denser, differently coloured piece is inset to form the face. The figure smiles gently from within the hood, perhaps greeting us, or an unseen friend approaching from afar. Or maybe he’s spotted a distant caribou or is simply basking in the return of the spring sun.