Wales, Alaska
19th century
Walrus ivory, wood, turquoise, and leather
Labret diameter: 1½ in (3.8 cm); Container height: 4⅞ in (12.4 cm)
Provenance: By descent in the Nagozruk family, Wales, Alaska
This pair of labrets consists of circular ivory surrounds set with turquoise stone centers, worn as lip ornaments inserted through perforations below the lower lip, which is a practice of deep cultural significance among Inupiaq communities of northwestern Alaska, where labrets marked identity, status, and adult standing within the community. The vivid blue of the turquoise against the white ivory creates a strong visual contrast that reflects the Inupiaq aesthetic investment in personal adornment as a form of social and ceremonial expression. The pair is housed in its original cylindrical wood and horn container with a fitted lid and attached leather carrying strap.
The labrets descended within the Nagozruk family of Wales, Alaska, having belonged to Arthur Nagozruk, a person of standing in his community, and passed down through the family over generations — a provenance documented in part by a photograph showing the labrets being worn by his uncle. The combination of the labrets and their original storage container, intact together with a known family history, represents a level of contextual completeness seldom encountered with objects of this type.
This is an ESA antique exempt piece of ivory and cannot be sold internationally, or to anyone residing in the states of California, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington. We guarantee that the piece was made prior to 1972.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Wales, Alaska
19th century
Walrus ivory, wood, turquoise, and leather
Labret diameter: 1½ in (3.8 cm); Container height: 4⅞ in (12.4 cm)
Provenance: By descent in the Nagozruk family, Wales, Alaska
This pair of labrets consists of circular ivory surrounds set with turquoise stone centers, worn as lip ornaments inserted through perforations below the lower lip, which is a practice of deep cultural significance among Inupiaq communities of northwestern Alaska, where labrets marked identity, status, and adult standing within the community. The vivid blue of the turquoise against the white ivory creates a strong visual contrast that reflects the Inupiaq aesthetic investment in personal adornment as a form of social and ceremonial expression. The pair is housed in its original cylindrical wood and horn container with a fitted lid and attached leather carrying strap.
The labrets descended within the Nagozruk family of Wales, Alaska, having belonged to Arthur Nagozruk, a person of standing in his community, and passed down through the family over generations — a provenance documented in part by a photograph showing the labrets being worn by his uncle. The combination of the labrets and their original storage container, intact together with a known family history, represents a level of contextual completeness seldom encountered with objects of this type.
This is an ESA antique exempt piece of ivory and cannot be sold internationally, or to anyone residing in the states of California, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington. We guarantee that the piece was made prior to 1972.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
