Johnassie Mannuk, Inuit, and others
Figure of a Walrus
Inuit, Mid-20th century
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- Artist/Maker: Johnassie Mannuk
- Culture: Inuit
- Culture: Canadian Inuit
Figure of a Walrus
Inuit, Mid-20th century
Physical Qualities
Stone, ivory, 3 15/16 × 2 9/16 × 6 1/8 in. (10 × 6.5 × 15.5 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Watchorn, Sykesville, Maryland
Object Number
1992.182
In the late 1940s, Canadian Inuit artists began to craft stone sculptures of the Arctic animals that had supported communities for generations for sale to Qallunaat (the Inuktitut word for non-Inuit people). At that time, Inuit society was rapidly changing as people moved from nomadic lifestyles into settled communities, but artworks like these did not reflect those transitions. Instead, Native artists depicted elements of traditional life that appealed to the Qallunaat market. The collapse of the once-lucrative fur trade and the steep decline of caribou populations pushed Inuit peoples to find alternative means to provide for their communities. With the support of the Canadian Handicrafts Guild, the Qallunaat artist James Houston encouraged the establishment of Inuit artistic communities and championed Inuit art to the “southern” market through a targeted marketing campaign.
Mrs. Watchorn says they purchased this in Canada c. 1955.
Darienne Turner, The Baltimore Museum of Art, “Arctic Artistry”, July 17, 2022 to January 8, 2023.
Inscribed: E9-24 is Johnassie's disk number inscribed on lower front edge of belly. Label on bottom has stylized igloo and says '119/Canadian/Eskimo Art'. '119' penned in blue ink.
