A Karoo Ashevak sculptureKaroo AshevakMungnelliInuit, Spence Bay/Taloyoak, (1940-1974), a carved whalebone sculpture depicting a flying figure, a second face verso, signed in syllabics.height 13 3/8in, width 12 3/8in, depth 5 3/4inProvenanceProperty from the Estate of Vivienne Felbermann Ivry, Palm Beach, FloridaSee von Finckenstein, Maria, ed., Celebrating Inuit Art 1948-1970, 1999, pp. 184-187, "Whalebone is the material most associated with sculpture from Taloyoak (Talurjuaq). To encourage carving production, the federal government in 1965 decided to fly in by charter a shipment of whalebone from Somerset Island, where great quantities had been left by the prehistoric Thule Eskimos and subsequent European whalers. Ashevak was the first to exploit the inherent expressive possibilities of this unusual carving material... By 1971 (he) had fully developed his own style of whimsical, often grotesque, spirit and shamanic figures made of assembled pieces of whalebone. The distorted faces are reminiscent of Tupilak figures from Greenland and Alaskan masks." Tragically in 1974, at the age of 34, Karoo Ashevak died with his family in a house fire.