21" Walking Polar Bear by Joe Jaw Ashoona *Striding*

Inuit art: Walking Bear
Inuit Artist: Joe Jaw Ashoona
Size: 21" long (20" horizontal), 12" high, 7" wide, 28 lbs.
Community: Yellowknife, NWT 21
Stone: African wonder stone 
id: ndc-179-113155IEJJY

**This Item is Eligible for Layaway Plan.

Museum quality Masterpiece!

Take a moment. 

To savour this stunning Joe Jaw Ashoona Masterpiece.

The warm white African wonderstone is silky, smooth and refined.

In the presence of this sculpture, you feel the pull of the earth, from which this bear arises.

Joe Jaw is renowned for his love of the bear.  In the last few years, he has carved several very large walking bears.   

See our January 24, 2020 blog Meet our Gentle Giants.

We consider these large Ashoona bears to be our "Gentle Giants". This extraordinary Walking bear is 43" long and 20" high.  He weighs 560 lbs. 

I believe Joe Jaw is the only Inuit artist today that is carving these lavish extra large sculptures. 

See CBC TV- Spotlight on Goota and Joe Jaw Ashoona.

Young Bear is a large 21" long and weighs 28 lbs but he is not a giant bear. 

When I saw him for the first time, I knew I was in the presence of a sculpture that had not yet been appreciated by the world.

I have never seen white African wonder stone.  This stone has a magic quality.

When I saw this soft white stone, I immediately thought of the ancient Classical Greek and Roman white marble sculptures because it is the white colour of the marble that allows the sculpture to shine.

The pure flawless white stone adores the physical features of this carving.  The white colour caresses and drapes itself over every line and every angle of the piece.

The white colour allows the light to create shadows that lovingly bathe our Bear. 

Take a moment to look at the shadows in the pictures. 

The light has now become the artist.

I believe this to be a young bear.  He is travelling with purpose.  

I immediately connected with this juvenile animal. Even after he is gone, I will think about him.

Our Young Bear is a masterpiece that will someday be on display for the world to see in an art gallery.

This is the type of art that will have an historic presence. 

I suspect that Joe Jaw and his Gentle Giants will eventually find their way to international recognition and appreciation. 

Young Bear was exhibited in Summer 2021 in Montreal, Que, Canada.

The smooth refined finish of Young Bear is like vanilla.  It is the cornerstone of this piece. 

The bravado of the sculpture takes your breath away. The style is realistic, modern and avante garde.

 This sculpture ranks as one of Ashoona's most masterful works of art to date.