Walrus
This fragile sculpture magnificently captures the endless struggles and cycles of life in Canada’s far north.
Sculpted from a single piece of whale bone, the work is by an unknown artist and was acquired by the House of Commons in 1971. The scene depicted is the titular walrus alongside an Inuk hunter, who is fighting off a polar bear. The hunter originally held an antler knife, but it’s been broken off, as were the walrus’ two tusks.
There is discolouration and honeycombing in the bone throughout the sculpture, and grains of sand and debris are still being shed, evidence of its organic origins.