**First Time At Auction**

Native American / First Nations, Northwestern Coast United States or Canada, Inuit / Inupiat people, ca. mid to late 20th century CE. A handsome and large soapstone carving of a whale perched atop a white quartzite stone base. The artist has carved enough details to identify this as a bowhead whale - a species that was revered and honored. Bowhead whales were hunted for their meat, blubber, and other materials their bodies provided, and they were one of the most important animals for Inuit survival and became a major part of their culture- today regulated hunts are still carried out by traditional villages. Size: 15" L x 9" W x 8" H (38.1 cm x 22.9 cm x 20.3 cm)

Provenance: private Goldstein collection, Denver, Colorado, USA. The Goldstein's have amassed their collection over the past six decades.

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#177077

Repaired, tail reattached. Losses and fissure on tail. Nicks and abrasions to rest of whale.