North America | Alaska
Thule Figure
Alaska
An exceptionally refined anthropomorphic figure
Thule culture
Ancient Eskimo
1200 – 1700 AD
Marine ivory
Height: 10.5 cm – 4 ¼ in.
Provenance
Ex collection Bernard De Grunne, Brussels
Ex collection Guy Porré & Nathalie Chaboche, acquired from the above
Thule figure x De Grunne 10.5 cm / Galerie Flak
Price: on request
According to Fitzhugh & 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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