These carvings were purchased by Paul Crosby directly from Yup'ik carvers in the Alaskan village of Savoonga on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea during February 2007.  For pictures of the trip to Savoonga, click HERE.

All of the carvings are made from fresh walrus ivory that was taken from subsistence hunting activities.  Many have eyes or trim using baleen and are often set on fossilized walrus ivory bases.  Savoonga is known as the "Walrus Capital of the World."  The walrus are hunted for meat--a number of the carvers had just returned from a successful walrus hunt on the day I was buying carvings.  The tusks are carved to supplement the income of the hunters.  The villagers also hunt whales for the meat.  Many of the carvings have baleen eyes or trim used in them.  

It is legal for the Eskimo in Alaska to carve ivory and use other marine mammal parts so long as there is a significant transformation of the item.  It is illegal for non-Natives to own the raw, unworked ivory tusks or other marine mammal parts.

Genus and species:  Odobenus rosmarus.  Wild.

The carvings cannot be shipped outside of the United States under any circumstances because of prohibitions under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Native Made in the USA

Order Code:  R-1000-G01

Artist:  Ray Toolie

Community:  Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Height: 4.25"
Width:  2"

Weight:  85 grams.

Materials:  Real polar bear claw, baleen divider, walrus ivory carving of polar bear head, baleen eyes and nose.

Price: US$1,250.00

Order Code:  R-1000-G03

Artist:  Gertrude Toolie

Community:  Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Length: 2.5"
Width: 0.5"

Weight:  20 grams.

Materials:  Real polar bear claw, baleen divider, walrus ivory cap.

Price: US$625.00

Order Code:  R-1000-G04

Artist:  Gertrude Toolie

Community:  Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Height: various
Length: various
Width: various

Weight:  various grams.

Price: US$45.00 each

Pictures still need to be loaded to website.

Order Code:  R-1000-G06

Artist:  Lane Rookok, 71 years old

Community:  Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Height: 1"
Length: 4.5"
Width: 2"

Weight:  32 grams.

Materials:  Walrus ivory.

Price: US$450.00

Order Code:  R-1000-G11-A

Artist: Harlan

Community:  Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Length: 3.25"

Weight:  10 grams.

Materials:  Bearded seal claw with walrus tooth carving and baleen divider and eyes.

Price: US$225.00

Order Code:  R-1000-G11-B

Artist:  

Community:  Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Length: 3.25"

Weight:  11 grams.

Materials:  Bearded seal claw with walrus tooth carving and baleen divider and eyes.

Price: US$225.00

Order Code:  R-1000-G11-C

Artist:  

Community:  Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Length: 3"

Weight:  8 grams.

Materials:  Bearded seal claw with walrus tooth carving and baleen divider and eyes.

Price: US$225.00

Order Code:  R-1000-G11-D

Artist:  

Community:  Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Length: 3.75"

Weight:  12 grams.

Materials:  Bearded seal claw with walrus tooth carving and baleen divider and eyes.

Price: US$225.00

Order Code:  R-1000-G13

Artist:  Julian Seppilu

Community:  Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Length: 4.75"
Width: 1"
Height with stand:  3.5"

Weight:  116 grams.

Materials:  Walrus ivory whale with baleen eyes and support on fossil walrus ivory base.

Price: US$1,250.00

Order Code:  R-1000-G15

Artist:  Julian Seppilu

Community:  Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Height: 2.25"
Length: 2.75"
Width: 1.5"

Weight:  64 grams.

Price: US$400.00

Order Code:  R-1000-G17

Artist: Julian Seppilu

Community:  Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Height: 2.5"
Length: 2.75"
Width: 1.75"

Weight:  98 grams.

Materials:  Walrus ivory with baleen eyes.

Price: US$400.00

Order Code:  R-1000-G20

Artist:  Unknown

Community:  Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Height: 0.75"
Length: 3"
Width:  1.5"

Weight:  39 grams.

Materials:  Walrus ivory.

Price: US$175.00

Order Code:  R-1000-G21

Artist:  Unknown

Community:  Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Height: 1.25"
Length: 3"
Width:  1.5"

Weight:  21 grams.

Materials:  Walrus ivory.

Price: US$225.00

Order Code:  R-1000-G22

Artist:  Unknown

Community:  Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Length: 1.5"

Weight:  7 grams.

Materials:  Walrus ivory.

Price: US$50.00