Figures, before 1500, 3 x 5 3/16 x 7 9/16 in. ( x x cm), Baleen, wood, ivory, United States, 15th century, Ivory carving is an ancient tradition among the Inuit. Used for a variety of purposes, miniature sculptures express the creativity and innovation of Inuit artists. These two groups of carvings were created for different purposes in opposing areas of the Arctic. The Thule culture, located on the west coast of Alaska, created the set with the birds and caribou primarily for ceremonial purposes around 500 years ago. Many were probably worn as amulets

---

Size: 4983px × 3424px
Location:
Photo credit: © Penta Springs / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 15th, 500, 1500, alaska, amulets, ancient, animals, arctic, areas, artists, assist, baleen, birds, caribou, carving, carvings, cases, century, ceremonial, ceremony, coast, created, creativity, culture, express, figures, gain, game, good, groups, health, hunters, innovation, insuring, inuit, ivory, locate, located, miniature, objects, opposing, owned, people, performed, power, primarily, protection, purposes, sculptures, set, shaman, spiritual, states, thule, tradition, united, variety, west, wood, worn, years