Elegant Inuit Carved Stone Polar Bear lidded box with some paint loss along

with some paint loss along the ridges of her carved body and a little cracking to the paint on her udder

and then what looks like "aet" rather than "age" before 13

1950s work inspired by ancient Cretian image

In part it is the completely painterly paint job that makes it great--looking quite like an abstract expressionist painting but at the same time very cow like

which I think give the piece a nice patina of age and use

Elegant Inuit Carved Stone Polar Bear lidded box with some paint loss alongAnother beautifully minimal Inuit carving, this one reminding me some of the work of Andy Miki (1918 1983; Arviat) in its graceful lines and elongated head (I've included one photo for reference) as well as in the light gray stone. It also shares a spirit I think with small 19th century Inuit tusk carved amulets from the Bering Sea area. To me it really feels as if walking very softly over ice, very gentle, and with a lovely, serene presence. 4 7 16"