Shaman Communicating with Walrus
by Ricky Kuzuguk, Inupiaq
Shishmaref, Alaska
whalebone, baleen inlay
12" high x 2 3/4" wide x 1" deep
Ricky Kuzuguk is an Iñupiaq whalebone carver born in the village of Shismaref, Alaska on July 23, 1967. Ricky, the son of the son of Frank Kuzuguk was born in Kotzebue and raised in Nome and Shishmaref. His father, Frank Kuzuquk was a carver as are his two brothers, Wilbur and Frank Junior.
Ricky who was taught by John Sinnok began carving ivory pendants in high school. He now lives in Shishmaref and specializes in carving small vertebrae and whale rib into dancers and hunters. The expressive faces are often carved of mammoth ivory. Ricky is a meticulous carver, paying much attention to detail and style.
Whale Bone Carving
Because trees do not thrive on Arctic tundra, Eskimos “in the old days” recycled the long, strong, curving ribs of whales as roof supports for their cozy sod houses.
Smaller bones from whale skeletons were sometimes collected and burned as fuel for cooking. Ribs and jawbones were used to make bow drills for carving. Whale bones, particularly the central cores of vertebrae, which can be 10 inches thick, are used for carving. The natural porosity of the lightweight, pale gray-to brown bone gives it an attractive, openwork surface. Whale bone carvings may be accented with inlaid ivory or baleen, or with ink. Slabs of whale bone are commonly used as bases on which ivory carvings such as snow geese and standing polar bears are mounted.
Whale bone is gathered from the beach in the summer months. New whale bone is never used, only aged bone found washed up on shore. The whale bone carvings from the community of Shishmaref, Alaska are considered to be the most collectable.
