Nineteenth Century Eskimo walrus ivory carving. The 15-inch walrus tusk is carved in the shape of a seal. Carved in relief on the seal's back are a polar bear facing a seal, a whale facing a polar bear and a kayak. Thirty pairs of holes are drilled along the edges of the tusk and are outlined with scrimshawed borders. The underside of the seal is decorated with a detailed scrimshaw map of a coast-line that includes inlets, bays, streams and inland lakes and a ship under full sail and a two-masted steam ship. A unique and expertly crafted piece of native American art.

Fine. The ivory has a mellow age patina and shows normal hairline age cracks. A hole in the top of the kayak indicates that the kayak may have been originally fitted with a figure. A very attractive, one-of- a kind piece.