Walrus Tusk with Walruses and Hunter Scrimshaw

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This elaborately engraved tusk shows the relationship between the Yupik Man and the walrus herds.  The two clusters of walruses represent the importance of the animal for subsistance.  Interspered among these scrimshawed scenes are renditions of Old Bering Sea Era harpoons which honor the tradition that has been passed down for centuries.  In the center is the Yupik Man, alone among the snowdrifts; his life, like his ancestors', depends on a successful hunt.