Late 1800's Antique Inuit Eskimo Hand Carved Hunter Man

An antique Inuit / Eskimo carved miniature Man/ Hunter figure, ivory, whale bone or horn (circa late 1800's)

Unmounted, intact and in lovely condition

Carve marks, some natural colouring mark. Black/brown markings and ridged lines for clothing decoration, boots dark brown, ridge line on hooded parka sleeves and bottom edge. Grooved hand. Carved neck detail and very defined parka hood at the back. Lovely delicately carved, fine facial features with brown hair.

2 1/2" tall x 7/8" wide from hand to hand across

 Jane Sproull Thomson, a former curator here at the museum, wrote an article on them in 1992 in Inuit Art Quarterly (Vol 7 No 4, Fall/Winter 1992) where she notes their similarity to other collections housed at Bowdoin College in Maine, The Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa/Hull and the Winnipeg Art Gallery.   She notes that many have interpreted these carvings as being tourist souvenirs.

 I hope this information has been of use.

 Elaine

 Elaine Anton

Collections Manager, Archaeology & Ethnology

The Rooms Provincial Museum

P.O. Box 1800, Stn. C

St. John's, NL

A1C 5P9

Ph: (709) 757-8076 "