Inukshuk (Image of Man)
by Elisusie Parr (1986-1975), Inuit
Cape Dorset, Nunavut
serpentine
9" high x 4.5" wide x 2" deep
An inukshuk is a structure made of stones piled on top of each other to look like a person, with arms and legs and a head. They were used for navigation in the frozen Arctic north where, in the snow, everything could look the same. They were also used to mark sacred places, and to mark a good hunting or fishing spot.
"Elleeshushe's creative talents brought her much respect in the community, not just for the drawing and carving but for her skillful sewing and elaborate designs she brought to the making of tradtitional skin clothing. Along with her husband Parr, she was a talented and prolific drawer, leaving a legacy of well over 1000 prints in the archives of the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative."
-from "Strange Scenes: Early Cape Dorset Drawings", 1993
