Description:

Arctic world, Thule or Dorset culture, ca. 1000 to 1500 CE. A fascinating amulet or pendant made from fossilized walrus ivory and depicting either a standing anthropomorphic figure or a seal viewed from above. Two ovoid perforations have been cut through the center of the figure, allowing attachment. The underside is hollowed out by what looks like drilling. The conflation of human and sea mammal form has rich symbolic meaning. Indigenous Arctic culture has a creation myth featuring Sedna, the goddess of the sea and the mammals that live in it. Although there are many versions of her story, all agree that she was a young human woman taken out to sea in a kayak and thrown overboard; when she tried to cling to the side of the boat, her fingers were cut off, and they floated down into the water, becoming seals and walruses. The similarities between human and seal form echo the stories of selkies, creatures who are women on land but seals in the water, known from Irish, Scottish, Icelandic, and Faroese cultures. Size: 1.1" W x 1.7" H (2.8 cm x 4.3 cm)

Provenance: private collection of Dr. Evan Maurer, a former Curator of the Minneapolis Art Institute (USA)

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#132096

  • Condition: Smooth, dark patina with very light surface scratches commensurate with age.

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April 5, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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