Inuit Eskimo Carved Tusk Standing Polar Bear Chicago artist with some minor rusting around

with some minor rusting around the edges

which I think makes them wonderfully graphic

looking to me now rather like a sky in a J

surface rusting as evident but overall good condition and looks great

as if toward a rolling ball coming in from the side

Inuit Eskimo Carved Tusk Standing Polar Bear Chicago artist with some minor rusting aroundSuch a surprise and treat to find this one and a smaller companion the other dayAlaskan Inuit, carved of fossilized walrus tusk, and I believe with a fair bit of age to him. I really love the paws raised, standing position, revealing fat stripe of dentine straight down the length of the belly, and then with wonderful deeper coloration on the upper half of the back. Inked details for face and claws and red for the mouth. Mid 20th c. I believe.