THULE CULTURE, MAINLAND ALASKA‍

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Alaskan artistic tradition holds a profusion of carved ivory images, both ritual and utilitarian. They depict animals and human beings as well as abstract and ambiguous forms. Figurative carvings often served the roles of effigies, charms, or talismans and had powerful associations with animal and ancestral spirits. The use of human figures, specifically, remains somewhat mysterious, but they were used in initiations and shamanic practices, and as focus points for metaphysical entreaties.

Ivory and bone were also used to craft adornments and jewelry. Teeth and claws of Arctic mammals were applied in this way, often in the form of strung pendants, drilled through and sometimes arranged with other materials. 

The necklace presented here combines a striking ivory figurine with a set of ten seal teeth, interspersed with opaque glass beads obtained from Russian traders. The splendid array is anchored by the figurine, which shows the armless, doll-like composition that is frequently seen in human images from this region. While the features of the figure are only rudimentarily sketched in with blackened incisions, the striking suggestion of naturalism and nuance it imparts is uncanny. The ivory’s mottled surface casts a spell of shifting shadows over the body and visage of the figure, conjuring an impression of soft, living flesh. The subtle face, with worn and ghostly features crossed with a horizontal tattoo, seems aware, almost ready to speak. 

Complete, intact Alaskan necklaces are extremely rare, making this a very special piece.

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