Inuit Soapstone Carving of Smiling Figure, c. 1970 folk art yard winder with the lid sliding on

with the lid sliding on and off smoothly but holding tight

one of them deeply carved

with all of its braids firmly in place

but those clothes are long gone and I personally love it bare where all attention turns to the carved and painted/drawn face

Inuit Soapstone Carving of Smiling Figure, c. 1970 folk art yard winder with the lid sliding onThe tag still attached to this carving when I purchased it identifies it as being the work of Daniel Weetaluktuk (1951 1984), which, in addition to being a very charming piece (that fantastic smiling face!), makes it notable for another reason: Weetakluktuk (originally from Inukjuak, in Nunavik, Northern Quebec), was the first Inuk archaeologist in Canada and seen by many as the father of community archaeology in Canada. (This form of archaeology