Inuit
Female Figure
Inuit, 1799-1899
Physical Qualities
Walrus ivory, 7 11/16 × 2 15/16 × 2 in. (19.5 × 7.5 × 5.1 cm.)
Credit Line
John Erikson Collection
Object Number
1955.167.9
Small human figures were carved for many purposes: as toys for little girls; to stand in for people absent from a village festival; to represent a baby in the hope that one will be brought to a couple who desire one. Whether toy or ceremonial object, the figures are carefully carved with great attention to the character of the face. Both male and female figures are made, their sex defined by anatomical features or with facial decorations.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 1955; Margareta Erickson davis Colmore
Purchased by John Erikson in Alaska ca. 1900
Purchased by John Erikson in Alaska ca. 1900
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "4000 Years of Modern Art", November 27, 1956-January 13, 1957 (and circuit to June 30, 1957), cat no 16.
Inscribed: 2 white labels with red border: 1) 'BALTIMORE CAT. 16'; 2) in red ink, BMA receipt number: '3245-15'. (Cannot find reference for 'BALTIMORE CAT. 16'.)
