Original Inupiat Carved Soapstone Dancer Figure by Levi Tetpon (born 1952) Inuit
Original Inupiat Carved Soapstone Dancer Figure by Levi Tetpon (born 1952) Inuit. This is a lovely light green soapstone sculpture of a dancer or shaman. The dancer is holding small feathers in each hand and the face is made of bone.
It is signed on the base, inscribed into the stone, "LEVI TETPON". He carves people, such as hunters and drummers, and transformation pieces. His pieces can range in size from 2 inches to almost 15 inches. He learned to carve from his father, Eric Tetpon, Sr. Who is famous for his double hoop walrus ivory and baleen food chain masks.
His brother Eric carves soapstone people and brother John carves wooden masks. A full-time carver who lives in the city, Levi carves year-round, unlike carvers who live in the villages and do most of their carving in the winter. He gets his ivory from the meat and hides to the whiskers and intestines. Levi uses baleen from the bowhead whale as inlaid accents and fossilized ivory for faces for its contrast with the fresh ivory. Levi's shamans and transformation pieces are particularly interesting. The Yup'ik mythology tells that when hunting, a person is transformed into and shares the spirit of an animal. This transformation represents the relationship between the hunter and the animal. These carvings are representative of shamans who can transform themselves into animals to travel to the spirit/animal world and communicate with the spirits of souls of the animals on behalf of the hunters and people, asking their permission to be hunted and caught for food. Measurements: 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 2 inches. All items for sale are vintage or antique and it may show evidence of wear. Please see condition report and photos.I try to describe the items to the best of my ability. All listings are described as to the best of my knowledge, through careful research and price and description comparison.
We welcome all reasonable offers! Please check out my other items. Thank you for looking and good luck!
This item is in the category "Antiques\Ethnographic\Native American". The seller is "esellerbernard" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- inuit: Eskimo
- Norton Sound: Western Alaska
- Soapstone dancer: Inupiat artist
- Color: Green
- Material: Stone
- bone: feathers
- shaman: Scanlon Gallery
- Maker: Levi Tetpon
- Tetpon Family: Levi Tetpon
- Shaktoolik: Norton Sound
- Yup'ik: Mythology
- Original/Reproduction: Original
- Style: Native American
- Alaska: Tetpon family
- Shaktoolik, Alaska: Eric Tetpon, Sr