Joe Poodlat (Taloyoak, Inuit) 1989 Certified Walru

Updated September 18, 2026

A compelling original Canadian Inuit stone sculpture by Joe Poodlat (b. 1951) of Taloyoak, Nunavut, depicting a stylized Walrus, carved in 1989 and accompanied by its original bilingual Government of Canada certification card identifying the artist, community, date and subject. Executed in richly figured dark green-black stone, visually consistent with serpentine, this compact sculpture embodies the bold reduction, tactile carving and powerful animal imagery associated with late-20th-century Taloyoak sculpture.<br><br>Poodlat has reduced the walrus to a remarkably fluid arrangement of broad, sweeping volumes, balancing the substantial body against an animated raised head and dramatically extended flipper. The composition is simultaneously recognizable and highly sculptural, with smooth polished planes transitioning into sharper carved passages and exposed areas of natural stone. Pale circular eye inlays punctuate the dark surface, while the stone itself displays attractive olive, charcoal, brown and mineral-toned veining that becomes an integral part of the sculpture's visual character. Viewed from different angles, the silhouette changes considerably, revealing the artist's effective use of negative space, mass and asymmetry.<br><br>The accompanying period certification card is particularly desirable. It is inscribed “Joe Poodlat” as artist, “Taloyoak” as community, “1989” as date and “walrus” as description, and bears the printed designation “Hand Made by a Canadian Inuk Artist - Certified by the Government of Canada.” Such surviving original documentation significantly strengthens provenance and provides collectors with a direct period record of authorship, place of origin, subject and date.<br><br>Joe Poodlat, artist identification E4-563, is documented in association with Spence Bay/Taloyoak and has been represented in exhibitions devoted specifically to Spence Bay and Kitikmeot sculpture. His work is also recorded in a public collection of the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art. His known sculptural subjects include Arctic wildlife, birds and shamanic imagery, placing this documented 1989 Walrus firmly within his established artistic practice.<br><br>An especially appealing feature for collectors is the combination of a quintessential Arctic animal subject, recognizable artist, Taloyoak origin, comparatively early 1989 date and surviving Government of Canada documentation. Other auctioned works by Poodlat include birds, whales, narwhals, walrus compositions and shaman figures, confirming an established secondary-market record for the artist.<br><br>Measures approximately 6 1/2 inches long x 3 1/2 inches deep x 4 1/2 inches high. The sculpture exhibits very light surface scratches, handling marks, natural fissures, veining and inclusions consistent with the stone, age and traditional hand-carved manufacture. The original certification card shows expected age-related handling and fold wear. Overall, an attractive and strongly documented exampl

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