#79 • Jerome K. Saclamana “Whale Shaman” Walrus Ivory Sculpture with Baleen Bristles

Part of October 2026 Curiosities Auction (timed auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $15.00

Status: Available

Bidding closes Oct 25, 2026 4:29 PM AKDT

Category: Ethnographic Objects

An elongated Whale Shaman sculpture in walrus ivory by Iñupiaq carver Jerome K. Saclamana (b. 1963), originally from King Island, Alaska. A human figure holds a round hand drum beside the face, merging below into a whale form with a baleen-inlaid eye and delicately incised mouth. A tall spray of baleen bristles and a short bristled accent bring contrasting texture to the smooth, pale ivory. Signed and titled on the underside. Saclamana’s imaginative combination of human and marine-animal forms is exemplified by a separate Whale Shaman in QCC Art Gallery’s 2017–2018 Carving Life exhibition. Approximately 2" x 1" x 5" tall.