North America | Alaska
Thule figure
Alaska
Human figure
Thule culture, archaic Eskimo
Seward Peninsula, Western Alaska
12th – 18th century
Carved walrus tooth
Height: 9 cm – 3 ½ in.
Provenance
Ex collection Jeffrey Myers, New York
Ex collection Galerie Flak, Paris, Parcours des Mondes 2022
Ex collection Guy Porré & Nathalie Chaboche, acquired from the above
Thule figure curved legs 9 cm / Galerie Flak
Price: on request
According to Fitzhugh et Kaplan (Inua: Spirit World of the Bering Sea Eskimo, 1982 : 156), these carved figurines were carved for several purposes: to stand in for people absent from the village during festivals, to avert infertility, or else to focus the attention of animal inua (spirit) during the Doll Festival, which was held to bless hunting and fishing expeditions in the coming year.
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