9" Bronze Walrus Gjoa Haven Joseph Suqslaq

Inuit Art: Walrus
Inuit Artist: Joseph Suqslaq
Size: 9" across, 4" deep, 2" tall
Community: Gjoa Haven, NU
Material: Stone medium Fieldstone
id: c-087

Suqslaq has given us a bird's eye view of the walrus. He has carved a wonderfully detailed and realistic basking Walrus.

I believe there are two mesmerizing features of this piece; the hide and the tusks..

The bronze undertones of the dark brown stone duplicates a real walrus hide. This walrus's hide is magical. It is velvety, rich and gently drapes over the underlying muscles and bones. 

Our walrus is trim, not rotund. The glorious hide showcases the details of the tail, flippers and the face of the walrus.   

The second feature is the tusks.

They are  the perfect proportion for the size of this carving.  Male walruses use their tusks for fighting, dominance and display. Typically, the strongest males with the largest tusks dominate the group.

Joseph has carved an exquisite pair of tusks suitable for "world" dominance.

The allure of this masterpiece is its realism.

The Gjoa Haven artists have a style that is unique and not at all like other Inuit carvers. These artists strive to carve in a traditional manner that depicts the real animal in its natural setting.

This is a beautiful and gentle piece.

See our notes on The Gjoa Haven Collection.