Inuit Scrimshawed Walrus Tusk by Wilbur Walluk (1928-1968)

This is an impressive piece of scrimshaw art by the highly respected Inuit artist Wilbur Walluk (1928-1968). He has scrimshawed a dramatic Inuit whaling scene on an 18 ¼" walrus tusk. The scene depicts the moment when the Inuit harpooner, with his whale hunting team of 6 hunters in their umiak, has cast his harpoon into the whale amid the ice floes of the Arctic waters. The hunting of the whale, for the Inuit, was both a necessary for their survival and an important ritual in their life. The same team would come together each year in a structure of their own and adhere to strict rituals and deprivations in preparation for the hunt. This is a great piece of art depicting a very important moment in the life of Alaska's Inuit people. 

L. 18 ¼"