Walrus Hunter Mask with Polar Bear Fur Trim

View more work by Ike Kulowiyi

This mask by Kulowiyi is a stunning example of craft and skill.  The whalebone is realistically sculpted into a face set in fierce concentration.  Walrus ivory, bone and baleen are expertly inlaid to create his searching eyes.  Most unique, however, are the individual teeth, carved in ivory and set within the whalebone.  The position of the two labrets in the bottom lip may suggest that this man is a decorated walrus hunter.