Inuit art: Kayak Hunter and Whale
Inuit Artist: Charlie Ookpik
Size: 14.5" high, 7" wide, 6" deep
Community: Gjoa Haven, NU 21
Material: Serpentinite & Caribou bone
id: c-117
**This Item is Eligible for our 0% Interest Layaway Plan
Charlie Ookpik's Whale scene tells the story of a brave hunter.
Our Inuk sits in his kayak with only his harpoon to help him. He is chasing a whale in his small kayak, arm posed ready to stab the large mammal.
The Inuit hunters knew that whales slept at the ocean surface. A single spear throught the heart, just behind the front flipper could kill the beast.
There are stories of the hunters causing infection by a cut from an arrow. The infection would drive the whale inland, allowing the hunters to kill it without wrestling the giant animal.
This is a beautiful piece, The Inuk, the kayak and the whale are exquisite in their proportion. The caribou bone stand elevates the vignette into the air so we can examine and enjoy the sculpture from several angles.
Ookpik is a skilled, and imaginative carver. He is well known and respected and is one of the more prolific Gjoa Haven artists.
This sculpture is complex and heart-rendering. Can you see it in your collection?
See our notes on The Gjoa Haven Collection.
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