Dansende beer - Statue - Canada (No reserve price)

(Dancing Bear)
This piece is a traditional Inuit soapstone sculpture of a 'dancing bear' (Dancing Bear), a very iconic and valued theme within Inuit art.
Theme: The dancing polar bear symbolizes the spiritual bond between human and animal in Inuit culture. According to shamanic traditions, bears transform into a dancing stance to communicate with the spiritual world.
Material: The sculpture is carved from serpentine (a harder stone related to jade) or soapstone. The stone has a characteristic dark green to black color with natural light veining. Originating from the Kinngait (Cape Dorset) region in Nunavut, Canada, a world-renowned center for Inuit carving.
"JM" beneath the paws confirm the authenticity of the piece and point to the Canadian Inuit artist Jamasie Mike (born in 1928) from the Pangnirtung community (located on Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada).
Authenticity: The fact that there is a hand inscription ("JM") in the stone proves that this is a handmade, unique piece and not a mass-production reproduction. Works by identified carvers from the older generation (such as Jamasie Mike) are sought after by collectors of Indigenous North American art.