Over time, and regrettably, the sculptures of Thomas Suvaaraq have slipped from view, owing in part to their superficial resemblance to the shaman figures of Luke Iksiktaaryuk (see Lot 94), and in part to the frequent confusion of his name with that of the other sculptor, Thomas Sivuraq.

The comparison with Iksiktaaryuk is understandable, but Suvaaraq's figures possess a character distinctly their own. Among their most appealing features is his use of fur, fashioned into thick hair, collars, sleeve ruffs, and amulet belts, as seen here. These additions lend his figures an unusually tactile quality, the softness of the fur playing against the smooth, solid surfaces of the antler. Particularly wonderful is the way the loose strands stir with the slightest movement of air, fluttering around the figure as though caught in the midst of a dance. Even at rest, the sculpture seems to possess a life of its own.

FA