Featured Inuit stone carving of seal - signed with disc number (and a surprise)

This was at the store tonight, waiting for me. The bottom was covered in glued on green felt (which I got off by warming it up a bit). It's signed E9 1400 on the base - and is almost 5" high and about the same length along the base. I've read up a bit on disc numbers and found a couple of sites that provide searches - but haven't found the artist who created this piece.




And now the surprise - I happened to have one of my magnets lying on the desk next to where I set Mr. Seal down, and very oddly - it stuck up against it. Soooo... that's odd. Magnetite... maybe?(I don't really know what else could make it attract a magnet as much as it does, even a regular fridge magnet sticks to it, although not strongly). I tried to do a little streak test but couldn't get much out of it - probably need to use more force but I don't want to break it.

Here's the magnet sticking to him:




I even taught him to balance it on his nose:




Any help ID'ing the artist and age...and what the heck it's carved from, is much appreciated!

 

Are we sure it's not an otter?

No, too flippery.

 

I think too flippery too, but w'otter I know?

 

@Mark London , who will know more than I !

I hate it when cute little seals like that get bounced around and end up with all those little white scuffs and dings.......
maybe there's enuf ore in that soapstone ....that attracts the magnet..???

( unless it's Basalt..)
"Basalt is a common gray to black volcanic rock. It is usually fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava on the Earth's surface. ... Because of the presence of such oxide minerals, basalt can acquire strong magnetic signatures as it cools, and paleomagnetic studies have made extensive use of basalt."

E9-1400 is said to be Lucy Nappatu , a female print maker born in 1927....
soooo...that's odd as well !!!!

 

Mark may know more - but you know a lot! Thanks again Komo!

Just a comment on Basalt - it may "acquire magnetic signatures as it cools" (I think that means the orientation of it's component minerals, which gets locked in as it cools.). but AFAIK - it is definitely not attracted to magnets.

EDIT - again, w'otter I know... According to a commenter here:

https://www.mindat.org/mesg-262106.html

"Basalt or andesite, no matter, both can possess zones locally enriched in magnetite which will attract magnets."

Not that I didn't believe you Komo - I'd just never heard of it!

 

Also - the very bright lights I use to take the pics of my stuff made all the dings and rubs look WAY worse than they do in normal daylight, that being said - lil'seal is a bit dinged up.

 

hey...you can question me at any and every turn...I am not perfect !!
but..if you find my information to be credible...even factual......then that brightens my day , just knowing I've been of help !!!

 

Not that I didn't believe you Komo - I'd just never heard of it!

Didn't you know that folks are " Attracted " to this art form !!

Bawhahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

.........

 

now...friend Aaron...........how about dropping a best answer on me??
Just for old times sake !! Eh??

 

Happily - as soon as I can pull myself out of this magnetic basalt rabbit hole I fell down ( now reading an article about the "anomolously magnetic basalt flows of Stardalur, Iceland").

Edit: I did and do hereby dub thine answer the best answer of all the answers!

 

c'mon...click the link.....

 

I did, I did, yea verily.

 

Really cute, Aaron.

It was a fast learner, and you are a good teacher.

I would have done that too, btw, too tempting not to.

 

I didn't know that about basalt either.

 

Nor I. I don't have any sort of high powered magnet to test with, but pulled out the one bit of what I think is basalt on the premises & took my strongest refrigerator magnet & by golly, there is definitely a slight magnetic pull not felt when the magnet is moved to where it is in contact only with the metal setting. Probably Vesuvian in origin:

 

That is really nice. It looks like writing down by the tail on the seals left side. 1911 but I can't read the words or name. Could be me.

 

Sorry to chime in so late in the discussion. The disc number indeed seems to correspond to Lucy Nappatu from Akulivik (assuming of course that it reads E9-1400). While Komo is correct that she is listed as a printmaker and not a sculptor, there are always exceptions.

My only concern is that the carving was executed with a very firm hand whereas the disc number seems to have been incised by a child. As such I would opt for describing the piece as being "attributed to Lucy Nappatu" rather than "by Lucy Nappatu". There would be zero effect on value as her works are not particularly sought after by the secondary market.

The stone and style are consistent with Akulivik, Nunavik and the date is likely mid to late 1960's.

 

Thank you Mark!

 

Question.......Could the E9 actually be EG? Would that make a difference?