OBS Anonymous, Hand and whale on chain, Ipiutaq
ivory, 4 x 1/2 x 1/2 in. (10.2 x 1.3 x 1.3 cm)
An amulet in the form of a human hand is joined to an amulet in the form of a whale's head by a single link. There is an incised star on the back of the hand. All parts have a uniform, deep brown patina. See Wardwell, Ancient Eskimo Ivories of the Bering Strait (1986), plate 154 for a similar object. Wardwell writes, 'The Ipiutak created a wide variety of animal figures, including polar bear, walrus, seal and bird forms,as well as chains and the openwork spiral carvings unique to them. Although no pure representations of the human figure are known, a few sculptures combine human and animal forms.'
01215-1