Jacoposie Oopakak is considered the master of intricate ivory carving among Inuit artists. His ability to capture tiny, precise details in such a fragile material is truly astonishing. This “totem” is made of incredibly fine individual subjects, but rather than being simply stacked one on top of the other they delicately support each other with an overall rhythm and airiness that elevate this magnificent sculpture into the realm of poetry. There is a hierarchy: the stone base supports two hunters, the lower one catching a seal and the other impaling a fish on a kakivak. These give way to a woman with a baby in her amautiq, while above her a man holds a fish. As the eye moves upward, we see a narwhal and a walrus flow into each other; finally, a kneeling man is crowned by a bird below a char surging upwards to provide an elegant tip for this exquisite totem.