Seal HunterView more work by Fred Nayokpuk
Nayokpuk has carved a hunter standing in triumph over his quarry. The traditional harpoons have ropes of sinew attached to the head in order to hook the seal and pull it back before it sinks. A caught seal lies at the hunter's feet, but supplies a base not only literally, but metaphorically. It is the base of the sculpture, but the seal is also recognized as a base of the subsistence hunt and the native way of life. The piece is carved from a whalebone with baleen inlay. The small knife at his side is walrus ivory.
| Artist |
Fred Nayokpuk |
| Origin |
Shishmaref, AK |
| Dimensions |
11 x 3 x 2 in (11 x 3 x 5-1/2 in with harpoon) |
| Materials |
Whalebone, baleen, walrus ivory |
| Culture |
Inupiaq |
|
