Looking Backward: Archaic Arctic Art and Artifacts

July 0914, 2022
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Online Auction
LOT 3

Lot 3

Figure, Old Bering Sea I, Okvik, Gambell, Sivuqaq (St. Lawrence Island), ca. 250 BCE – 100 CE

Figure, Old Bering Sea I, Okvik, Gambell, Sivuqaq (St. Lawrence Island), ca. 250 BCE – 100 CE
Lot 3 Details
Figure, Old Bering Sea I, Okvik, Gambell, Sivuqaq (St. Lawrence Island), ca. 250 BCE – 100 CE

comprised of ivory, an armless torso surmounted by an elongated head with releif carved high brow ridge, slender nose, and incised details
3.9 x 1.4 x 0.8 in — 10 x 3.5 x 2 cm

Estimate $2,000-$3,000

Realised: $1,800
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
Figure, Old Bering Sea I, Okvik, Gambell, Sivuqaq (St. Lawrence Island), ca. 250 BCE – 100 CE
  • Figure, Old Bering Sea I, Okvik, Gambell, Sivuqaq (St. Lawrence Island), ca. 250 BCE – 100 CE
Provenance:

Bill Johnstone collection, Carlisle, UK

Exhibited:

The Isaacs/Innuit Gallery, Early Art and Artifacts of the Inuit, Toronto, 1999, p. 5, pl. 7.

Note:

Okvik is the earliest known phase of so-called Paleo-Eskimo culture, dating ca. 250 BCE – 100 CE, distinguished mainly by a monumental style of human or humanoid representation carved on a small scale.

The possible religious or ritual significance of Old Bering Sea sculpture is unknown, however characteristics present in Okvik figuration, including distorted facial features, implied skeletal marks, and the presence of tattoo patterns are prominent in figuration associated with the supernatural in the earliest known Western Arctic artistic traditions.

The present sculpture represents one of the earliests figural traditions known in the Arctic, an important sculpture with characteristics in keeping with subtype A of the Okvik style, as defined by Henry Collins et. al. 135, it is characterized by forcefully cut, thick, deep lines, and with an overall minimally defined, even “crude” expression.

[1] Typical of Okvik sculpture, the figure’s torso is truncated and limbless, its face defined by a dispassionate, perhaps otherworldly expression.

(1) Wardell, Allen, Ancient Eskimo Ivories of the Bering Strait, (Maine: The American Federation of Arts, 1986), 36.


Related Works:
Wardell, Allen, Ancient Eskimo Ivories of the Bering Strait, (New York: Hudson Hills Press Inc., 1986), 41, pl. 12-13.

Many countries prohibit or restrict importation or exportation of property containing ivory, whale bone, sealskin, and/or products derived from other endangered or protected species, and require special licenses or permits in order to import or export such property. It is the responsibility of the buyer to ensure that the item is properly and lawfully exported / imported. Please do not hesitate to contact one of our specialists for further details.

CONDITION DETAILS

Wear and losses commensurate with age. Overall good condition.

Please contact the specialist for further condition information.

LOT 3
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About Condition Ratings

  • 5 Stars: Excellent - No discernable damage, flaws or imperfections
  • 4 Stars: Very Good - Minor flaws or imperfections visible only under close inspection using specialised instruments or black light
  • 3 Stars: Good - Minor flaws visible upon inspection under standard lighting
  • 2 Stars: Fair - Exhibits flaws or damage that may draw the eye under standard lighting
  • 1 Star: Poor - Flaws or damage immediately apparent under standard lighting (examples: missing components, rips, broken glass, damaged surfaces, etc.)

Note: Condition ratings and condition details are the subjective opinions of our specialists and should be used as a guide only. Waddington’s uses due care when preparing condition details, however, our staff are not professional restorers or conservators. Condition details and reports are not warranties and each lot is sold “as is” in accordance with the buyer’s terms and conditions of sale. In all cases the prospective purchaser is responsible for inspecting the property themselves prior to placing a bid.