Eskimo Label Inuit Carved Soapstone Snow Goose Figurine

I bought this mostly for information. It’s badly damaged (beak busted off and a couple of other chips). Stands nearly 5” high. My guess is it’s a snow goose.

I remembered some threads about Inuit figures with paper labels and only vague answers on who or when. Well… this one is quite clearly signed and its origin clearly stated. Question is: does anyone know the carver, and does that narrow down the date line?

But then again, this label is different from those other labels, so maybe it's moot.

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/anyone-able-to-i-d-this-inuit-carver.29730/

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/canada-black-seal-figure-inuit-or-soapstone.29779/#post-393909









And I may as well ask: does the damage destroy any value?

 

Just an observation - but it seems rather odd for the label to be placed on the side of the bird. It is an important piece of authentication, and so not something a buyer would want to remove. The labels I have seen on other Inuit pieces are usually placed in a more discrete location. Maybe just not enough room on his feet.
And yes, the damage seriously affects the value.

 

Yeah, but is it just a rock?

The balance on this is tenuous. The damage probably happened when someone on the far side of the room sneezed and it fell over.

 

I recently passed up an Inuit stone carving at my local thrift store because it had a few chips. (It wasn't a particularly interesting carving, either.) I think the same considerations of quality and condition apply to Inuit work as any other art. The poor balance would be another count against it. Sorry.

 

Arctic Bay, in in today's territory of Nunavut
Yes it's an inuit community....so the tag of Eskimo...( still known in the USA..) is an older one.

While it may be possible to repair..( reshape ) the head....in it's current condition...it's a curio shelf sitter at maybe $10....

@Mark London

 

I looked up Arctic Bay. It was incorporated as a hamlet in 1976, but has been an Inuit site for millennia. I guess a question would be: how long has it been called Arctic Bay (incorporated or otherwise)?

 

No need to be sorry. I had no delusions when I bought it. I bought it for the label and signature in the hope that the one might help to date the other.

 

Things can get damaged to the point where the best you can say is that someone worked on it. If the thing is a 50,000 year old pebble, that might make a difference, but for modern stuff, you reach a point where that doesn't matter... it's just junk.

 

I agree.

 

E5-907 .. Lazaroosee Akpaliapik , born 1921.....stone carver .. biography 1989.

Mark will know more...

The bird...is simple and elegant.....& while today's carvings are large and artistic....yesteryear's carvings were smaller & more delicate.....

I do not consider this junk....

 

Bet they didn't get an Inuit to design the label.

 

Great work on the ID.

 

I like it, and would have bought it, never mind the damage. Something can be done about that. Not a carving to be sneezed at, imo.

You could regard it as a transformation piece, morphing from goose to seal?

 

Or from goose to dinosaur.

The extremely rare "Nose-smashed-in Snow Goose".

 

Frostbite Snow Goose?

 

Actually, I really like it.
Maybe it's been carved after it had a heavy night celebrating its Golden Globe Award for the movie in 1971?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snow_Goose_(film)

 

That movie had me crying. Mind you, I was a teen back then.

 

It is a lovely piece that likely dates to the early 1970’s. Unfortunately, the cost of a decent repair exceeds the value of the sculpture. A cheap workaround would be to amputate the beak area and graft on a piece of ivory or antler and then recarve. The label is genuine and I can’t tell you how many times I have had to do battle with inconveniently placed labels.

 

That's a great idea for a repair, but beyond me. Maybe someone else would try it. Lets find out!