Sarah Niungittuq Inukpuk (1945- )
Baker Lake, Nunavut
1979-81
35" x 28"
In this intriguing piece, six antlered caribou swimming in a river, at bottom, look up to see three sets of spirits in the sky. At left, a tattoed female figure has a beluga and polar bear's body on top of its head. At right, another tattoed female has a bird on its head (ensconced in an amauti), and a foot below. The centre double-figure has men's heads with dogs snarling at the flanking spirits. A classic period Baker Lake piece with fantastic man/animal transformational imagery and historic and beautiful, but rarely-seen, face tattooing.
Embroidery stitches: fly, feather, single feather, buttonhole, stem, satin, cross, seed, herringbone and detached chain.