Featured Inuit carved group with Fossilized skull?

I have recently acquired a sculptured group of a group of 3 soapstone carvings from an Inuit artist named Isaaci Etidlui which has a base which appears to me to be a fossilized skull. I would like opinions on the skull and of the overall value of the sculpture group.

 

@komokwa and I'm forgetting the other name, but Komo or others should know who!!

 

I am sure the members who know Inuit art will want photos of any signature, and more angles on the skull in order to identify it (I suspect walrus).

@Mark London @komokwa

 

Thank you. Here is a photo of the signature.

 

the stone is serpentine...
hunters are usually pictured spearing seals....not fishing for them..
that's a lot of skull....for that scene......which appears to be walrus......with the front bashed in for easy access to the full measure of it's tusks... not a fossil though..
what looks like 3 different types of stone , are possibly carved by more than one artist.....
the name shown corresponds to the artist mentioned...

I'll stop now and let Mark handle the rest.....and correct me where needed,,,,,


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Komokwa is essentially bang on with his comments. I’m not convinced that the implements are placed correctly but I can’t see details on the hands. In my opinion, the other object does not belong to the overall composition…the stone is wrong for the community of origin and it doesn’t contribute anything to the piece. In general, we don’t do values here but since you haven’t provided any dimensions it is impossible to even guess. Isacci was a very talented artist who died way too young.

 

Thank you so much for your reply Mark. I can tell by your response that your knowledge of and compassion for these Inuit artists is very strong and I appreciate your comments.

 

I can’t make out the disc number on my iPad. I can see what looks like E9-16 but can’t make out the rest. The stone is a type of siltstone most likely from Sanikiluaq.

 

Thank you. I am also going to send an inquiry to a Gallery in Dorset and will check out artists from Sanikiluac.

 

u do what u need to buddy.....
but you've already heard from the expert....
& I don't throw around that term lightly .....

 

I hope that my enthusiasm for identifying my Inuit pieces is not taken in the wrong way. My appreciation and respect for the comments and expertise I have been so generously provided could not be greater.

 

not at all.....I just thought you should know.....where some of that expertise is coming from...!!

but please....continue your research and get back to us with any new findings !!!

 

Will do!

 

If you tell me what the disc number is I would be happy to identify the artist.

 

@Mark London, if this is what you were referring to, I outlined it after sharpening, but after the '16' I wasn't sure what that 'thing' was, so outlined it a bit lighter!

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Thanks for the better image. Sadly, I cannot find the disc number on the artists' database but there are many gaps. In other words, not everyone who carved is listed for posterity. Other than intellectual curiosity, the name of the artist is not important as the work has far less value than the Isacci.

 

Here is a piece by Isacci in whale bone.

 

Thank you for this photo!
The numbers on the base of the bird are:

6 C Delta. E9-162 the 2 being quite faint.

The walrus skull on the Isaaci piece measures 12 x 5.5 inches high.
The fisherman sculpture is 8 inches in height and the seal is 7 inches long.
The seal slides onto a protruding wooden peg set into the bottom edge of the skull and the fisherman figure similarly sets onto a wooden peg on the top surface of the skull (this peg is broken off flush to the skull). When assembled the seal floats halfway in and out of the skull with the fisherman astride, holding a bone type fishing rod with a string or twine attached to the seals back. The bone fishing rod has been broken but seems complete.

 

The first group of symbols is the artists' signature in Inuktitut syllabics. They seem to read ka la i but I cannot find any artists by that name from either Sanikiluaq or neigbouring Great Whale River. As Komokwa pointed out, one does not fish for seal, they are harpooned, which is why I mentioned that the implements might be incorrectly positioned.

 

the E9-100's , are almost exclusively from Sanikiluaq .....