Is this a piece of inuit art?

Hello again! I have a new mystery object that I need some help identifying. This small stone sculpture is 10 cm tall, 11 cm long, 2,5 cm wide, ca 545 g. When moistened it smells like minerals and wet stone. Not soapy to the touch, more dry. Does anyone recognize this style or motif? Any information is valuable and of interest. Thank you!

 

my 1st thought would be African.......

 

Mine too. Maybe @2manybooks knows.

 

Central American?

 

Not Inuit, but possibly African. The stone does not look like those typically used in East African carvings such as those made by the Shona. More like the stone "nomoli" figures found in West Africa. So perhaps a modern souvenir version of those. Here is an example of a nomoli, found in Sierra Leone -


https://www.michaelbackmanltd.com/object/carved-steatite-nomoli-figure/

 

Thank you for your replies. I mentioned possibly Inuit because the creature resembles a tupilak from Greenland.

 

It does have those exaggerated features, but as far as I know a tupilak is always made from animal parts, so bone, skin etc.

 

I confess that I was not aware of the tupilak, and I can see why you think it might be a possibility. But looking at other examples, it seems they are primarily carved from animal materials - antler, bone, or ivory, rather than stone. This would correspond with the original tradition of creating a sort of vengeful golem from animal parts.

The fact that it appears to be signed on the bottom would suggest it was made since souvenirs became popular wherever it came from. But Inuit stone carvings are usually more polished than your piece appears to be.

https://www.polar-quest.com/blog/greenland-mixed/the-story-behind-the-greenlandic-tupilak