Transformational figure

Unknown

ca. 200 BCE–100 CE · Walrus ivory · The American Wing

This female figure with an elongated head and torso appears part-human and part-sea mammal or fish. Although its exact purpose is specific to the owner, the narrow opening at the center may signify the boundary between the physical and spirit worlds. Carvings such as this one are among the most aesthetically refined of the Old Bering Sea sculptural works.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 200 BCE–100 CE

Medium

Walrus ivory

Culture

Okvik, Native American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection of Native American Art, Promised Gift of Charles and Valerie Diker