King Island, Alaska
Walrus ivory
19th century or before
Length 1 3/4 inches, width 3/4 inches
Provenance: Private collection, Maine
A walrus ivory toggle carved as a polar bear by the Inuit of King Island, Alaska. The animal is shown with bared teeth, incised brows, and inlaid eyes, the body worked to a smooth rounded form. A separately carved hand is fitted to the reverse and can be drawn out from the piece.
Toggles of this kind fastened lines and garments along the Bering Strait coast. The pairing of a polar bear with a human hand draws on the animal and human imagery that runs through the region's carving. The form and the worn ivory are consistent with work of the nineteenth century or earlier, and provenance traces to a private collection in Maine.
This is an ESA antique exempt ivory object. It cannot be sold internationally or to buyers residing in California, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, or Washington. The piece is guaranteed to have been made prior to 1972.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
King Island, Alaska
Walrus ivory
19th century or before
Length 1 3/4 inches, width 3/4 inches
Provenance: Private collection, Maine
A walrus ivory toggle carved as a polar bear by the Inuit of King Island, Alaska. The animal is shown with bared teeth, incised brows, and inlaid eyes, the body worked to a smooth rounded form. A separately carved hand is fitted to the reverse and can be drawn out from the piece.
Toggles of this kind fastened lines and garments along the Bering Strait coast. The pairing of a polar bear with a human hand draws on the animal and human imagery that runs through the region's carving. The form and the worn ivory are consistent with work of the nineteenth century or earlier, and provenance traces to a private collection in Maine.
This is an ESA antique exempt ivory object. It cannot be sold internationally or to buyers residing in California, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, or Washington. The piece is guaranteed to have been made prior to 1972.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
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