Lidded Seal Effigy Basket
Artist
Richard Frederick Hutchinson
(North American Indian, Inupiaq, born 1972)
Dateca. 1995
MediumBaleen and marine mammal ivory
DimensionsOverall: 2 7/8 × 3 3/8 inches (7.29 × 8.59 cm)
Credit LineFrom the Estelle and Morton Sosland Collection
Object number2009.41.25.A,B
On View
On viewGallery Location
- 206
Collections
DescriptionLidded basket woven in dark brown glossy material surmounted by ivory carving of a seal's head.Gallery LabelThe walrus ivory finial of this contemporary basket evokes a seal popping up from the water or looking up at the viewer from a hole in the ice. The basket is woven from baleen, a glossy, horn-like material taken from the upper jaw of the bowhead whale. In both materials and execution, Hutchinson has effectively emphasized the contrast between the smooth, softly rounded surfaces of the carved ivory seal and the intricately woven, spiraling textured pattern of the baleen. The remarkable fineness and evenness of weave distinguish this delightful object.
Torrence, Gaylord, ed. Continuum: North American Native Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Kansas City: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Copyright© Richard Frederick Hutchinson
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