Soapstone Seal Carving - Greenland 20th Century

Beautiful, very rare, this Seal Figurine is an object that feels so good in your hand -pick it up and you will understand why indigenous people carried these with them as part of their equipment. This example is a deep color, nearly black and totally wonderful. 

4.5" L x 1.5" H

For centuries, Inuit have been carving utilitarian stone cook pots and oil lamps and decorating their tools of wood, stone, bone, and ivory with artistic designs. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they began creating sculpture as a source of income. These early commercial carvings were sold or traded to European and American whalers, who began frequenting the arctic regions at that time. The early works were, usually, small carvings from walrus ivory, representing local animals and Inuit themselves, going about everyday life. Seals, caribou, polar bears, birds, and other animals important to Inuit’s survival were often represented. As well, they carved small ivory genre scenes of hunting from kayaks, driving dog teams, or flensing seals. Appropriately, these small items are usually referred to as “trade sculptures.”