North America | Alaska
Bear figure
Alaska
Zoomorphic toggle
Archaic cultures from Alaska
Walrus tooth
18th century or earlier
Length: 1 ¼ in. ( 3.1 cm)
Ex collection Walter C. Waters, the Bear Totem Store, Wrangell, Alaska, before 1950
Ex private collection, France
Bear toggle / Bear Totem Store 3.1 cm / Galerie Flak
Price on request
According to Fitzhugh et Kaplan (Inua: Spirit World of the Bering Sea Eskimo, 1982 : 156), these shamanic figurines were carved for several purposes: to stand in for people absent from the village during festivals, to avert infertility, or else to focus the attention of animal inua (spirit) during the Doll Festival, which was held to bless hunting and fishing expeditions in the coming year.
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