Idol · Alaska, Old Beringsea Culture · ID: 3035511
sold
EUR 550
Size
H: 2,8 cm
H: 1.1 inch
Description
walrus ivory, stilized armless human torso in miniature form, slightly dam. (chin, back), socle;
such figures are generally interpreted as idols and are connected with whale hunting. Up to nowadays the crew members of whale boats take small wooden figures aboard; they played an important role in ceremonies for a good whale hunt and were destroyed afterwards.
Comparing literature
Fitzhugh, William W., Gifts from the ancestors, London 2009, p. 238, ill. 14. Bandi, Hans-Georg, Die Kunst der Eskimo auf der St.-Lorenz-Insel in Alaska, Bern, Stuttgart 1977, p. 54 f.