A signed late 20th century Inuit carved stone sculpture of an Inuk and fish

Description

An Inuk crouches low against an angled rock, clutching a fish which he has just caught. Perhaps he has spotted a polar bear, as there is a slight sense of tension as he stares out and holds his body close to the rock to hide. The form of his body is clear, with clearly demarcated limbs and a hooded head, but he also echoes the form of the steatite rock the Inuit artist chose to carve this piece. His left leg is curved back behind him, and the ledge of the natural form of rock is left open underneath suggesting the icy and rocky ledges found across the frozen Arctic.

The base bears a number of inscriptions comprising:
T Ken - the artist's name, or a version of it.
AK115 - although this does not appear to be a 'disc number', it is presumably a number related to the artist's identity. The AK prefix may relate to Alaska.
111542 - almost certainly the 'stock number' for this sculpture when it was originally sold by the artist to the broker or gallery.

The darker surface of the piece shows where the artist has sanded and lightly polished it, and left the grooves with a lighter, unpolished surface. Perfectly sized for a desk or display shelf.

13cm longest, 11cm deepest, 6.2cm highest

Condition
No cracks, major chips, repairs or missing sections. As to be expected with a piece of this age made from this type of steatite (soapstone), there are a couple of light scratches and some very shallow chips which show in the final photo and the photo of the base. The base has stains from sticky labels that were probably applied by the gallery that originally sold it.

Shipping
Postage and packing is free within the UK. If you live outside the UK, please contact me to obtain a shipping quote. I pack and ship at cost, and do not make any money from this service. Items are sent via Royal Mail signed and tracked services, but I am happy to use another service at your request.