The January 2024 artifact of the month is a Walrus Man sculpture made of wood and ivory. It was purchased by Martin Ellman of Montogomery, NY and came into the Alaska State Museum’s collection in 1984. The description on file is “Carved wooden figure w/ animal-like body crouched on all fours and human head. Small ivory tusks protruding from lower corners of down-turned mouth. Dark colored wood.” Its creator is unknown. It could have been made by an Iñupiaq or Yupik artist or maybe someone from one of the ancestor cultures such as the Old Bering Sea or the Okvik people. It is not currently on public display.
Walrus Man or Walrus Woman (II-A-6839)
length, full object: 4 in (10.16 cm)
length across shoulders: 2 in (5.08 cm)
height: 1.875 in (4.76 cm)
0 Comments.