~ Help ID Inuit Sculpture ~

DW and I are debating what this piece represents. She thinks Mother and Child. I'm leaning towards Seal hugging a Whale (or rock or something.)

Any opinions?









Thanks for looking.

 

There are many inuit carvings that relate to the spirit world.
With the humans overly long arms and creature like toes, one could suggest that it's the artist happily hugging the next stone he's about to carve.....& the stone ..returning the love !!

 

Poking my neck out there as I have had little to do with native Art.
But as an admirer of antiquities, I am throwing my lot in and saying that it may be a mourning piece?
The living clinging to the dead?
Clearly only an assumption, feel free to tell me to go back into my box

 

Can you post a better (i.e. In focus) image of the markings on the base? The family name seems to be Qumaluk.

 

Mama and baby seal

 

Still having trouble with first name but family name is indeed Qumaluk.

 

This information is much appreciated!

I'm finding quite a lot of Inuit artists with that name.

Thanks also to all who looked and weighed in as well.

 

The only significant member of the Qumaluk family was Levi Qumaluk and this is not by him.

 

Thanks again.

I think the carving looks amateurish or unfinished, compared to many other images I'm finding. I'd still like to know who the characters are, if that is possible.

 

I think it is 'possibly' a representation of the Inuit legend ' The Gift of the Loon' although the larger figure has not a beak (which really is not important as the face that is carved is reflecting the inner Spirit of the animal), you can see from the back and front of it that it has the speckled effect of the feathers of the Loon and from the front the boy is knelling on what looks to be the tail. That is my 'guess' but here is a link to the story but it is a lovely piece. http://www.uexpress.com/tell-me-a-story/2010/8/22/the-gift-of-the-loon-an

 

that speckling usually indicates rock or stone..

 

It is not always the case speckles denote texture which can represent many things. The person who original purchased it or was gifted it would have been told the oral traditional representation of the piece, its not about getting a visually accurate representation its about the oral story behind the piece and alas the only ones who will know what the carver depicted was them and the buyers who knows maybe its a tree the kid is hugging, I do that a lot too brings a smile on my face too - Sean

 

In most cases the subject matter is fairly clear, particularly in pieces representing the story of the blind boy and the loon.

 

I agree but as you say in 'most' cases not all I was only offering a suggestion I could have equally said it a carving of a son and his dad, which is also very possible

 

So you're suggesting that this is a rare case where the speckling is not something the creatures are resting on, and the unusual case where a legend is not accurately depicted ......
Sorry...I'm not seeing either of those suggestions....
IMHO...

 

That is OK my comment was to the OP not to you, but thanks for sharing your opinion once again.
As mentioned before it was only a suggestion and only my opinion, not stating a fact, and I am certainly not interested in getting into a back and forth debate so lets not lose sight of the OP original question, asking for others opinions, which is what I have shared, doesn't make mine right just an opinion, you shouldn't let it bother you so much maybe we should move on ♥ Sean

 

you shouldn't think that it bothers me at all....it doesn't !
& if you really don't want to get into a back and forth , then there is no reason to answer my comment , just so you get in the last word.

AND....BTW.....you answered both Mr.London & Me ....directly ..quoting our posts...so Puleese...don't be tellin me that you're comments were meant for the OP as that's clearly a falsehood .