#43 • Iñupiat Whalebone Ptarmigan Figurines - Weir Negovanna

Part of December 2024 Premier Auction (live auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $375.00

Status: Sold

Category: Ethnographic Objects

A pair of adorable avian figures, each ptarmigan carved from fossilized whalebone with applied baleen beaks and walrus tusk eyes, and further mounted upon bases of the same whalebone material. Bottoms are covered in felt, and the label provides attribution to Iñupiat artist Weir Negovanna (1907-1993) of Wainwright, Alaska. The largest bird measures approximately 5" x 3" x 5.5" tall.