Additional Images

Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist, ca. 2000

Note:

We are pleased to present six exceptional works by Manasie Akpaliapik in this auction. Purchased directly from the artist in the mid-late 1990s, each represents a significant element of the artist’s practice, exemplifying the fertility of imagination and astounding range of technical achievement for which he has become known.

In an iconic image for the artist, exquisitely sculpted from time-weathered bone, Janus-like faces emerge from each side of a vertebra of a whale. Perhaps in a state of transformation, the transverse processes or outswept fins of the vertebra invoke the budding flippers of a seal or walrus. The truncated right flipper is the perch for a small vertebra housing diminutive attendant spirits.


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.