10. Dancing Walrus

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)
Serpentine, Antler
21.5” x 19” x 16”

This magnificent sculpture by the late master carver Axangayuk Shaa captures the improbable elegance of a massive walrus in motion. Hewn from a monumental block of dark green serpentine, richly mottled with light green inclusions, the work radiates both raw power and ethereal grace. Balancing delicately on a single flipper, the walrus appears to defy gravity—its head flung back in exuberant motion, a front flipper raised with theatrical flair, while the walrus’ rear flipper twists dramatically across its robust body. A signature of Shaa’s unparalleled skill, the sculpture evokes the poise of a dancer mid-performance, its hundred-pound weight belying the sense of fluid, airborne movement.