12" Apple Green Muskox by Joamie Aipeelee

Inuit art: Muskox        
Inuit Artist: Joamie Aipeelee
Size: 11" long, 3" wide, 6" tall
Community: Iqaluit
Stone: serpentine
id: ndc-268895aejjy

I never tire of Muskox carvings.

What does the “perfect” Muskox look like to you?

From my point of view, it is all about the face, the horns and the shoulder hump.

And the long hair.

Of all the Arctic creatures, I think the Muskox is open to the most interpretation by the Inuit carvers.

I am particularly drawn to Joamie’s muskoxen.

At first glance they seem simple and somewhat primitive.

But as you exam each part of the carving, you begin to discover the realistic details of each sculpture. The face (chiselled nostrils and mouth). The horns (the beauty of the brow band formed with crushed horn) The body ( oversized shoulder hump and the emphasis on the “skirt” at the bottom edge of the shaggy hair).

Joamie Aipeelee is a carver who I admire. His carvings are consistently realistic and majestic. His genius is in his attention to the subtleties of the animal. It is these subtle features that come together to form the essence of the creature.

The effervescent apple green stone in this specific Muskox contrasts beautifully against the off-white eyes and horns bringing the carving to life.