INUPIAQ WHALE EFFIGY OBJECT

Leigh E. Robinson and Christine Robinson, collected in situ between 1928-1934

Thence by family descent

Cowan's, Cincinnati, September 15, 2007, lot 56, consigned by the above

John Molloy, New York, acquired at the above auction

George Terasaki, New York, acquired from the above

This relief-carved object represents a quintessential marriage of form and function. Its weathered wood is gracefully carved to form a whale’s tail. Carved in relief on the top of the piece is a small whale, elegantly aligned with the overall silhouette of the object. The smooth side of the piece is significantly worn, perhaps supporting some ethnographic literature that identifies these objects as umiak kayak seats, utilized during whale hunting. There is also significant wear on either side of the carved hole present on the finial itself, indicating perhaps the use of rope as an attachment. Such details may instead suggest that the piece served as an effigy, bringing good fortune to the whale hunters. The intrinsic connection between the iconography of the piece itself and its use emphasizes the importance placed on such objects, which were considered to be essential to the success of hunting expeditions. The primordial role of this object is further made evident by the attention not only to style and craftsmanship of the piece, but also to the material chosen to create it. Most likely carved from spruce that was recuperated from the Bering Sea coast, the carver looked for wood with an outward-turned grain. The naturally arched form present in the wood lent itself beautifully to the desired final product, allowing the artist to transform unworked material into a novel and imaginative form.