This sculpture belongs to a group of early works that have surfaced over the years, all sharing a similar refinement and each unsigned and most often unattributed, a reminder that the value of an artwork lies not in authorship but in the way it holds our attention.

Here, the pale limestone face, set into the dark green-black stone of the parka, has a striking presence. Its features are cut with delicacy and are heightened with graphite. The brows arc lightly. The narrow, almond-shaped eyes taper upward at the outer corners. The nose is crisply established but it is the mouth that affects us most: two short curved incisions forming a faint downturn that lend the figure an air of stoicism, even quiet resignation, as though he awaits the moment to plunge his spear into the icy water to take his catch.

ND