Wonderful Old Inuit Scrimshawed Bone Box painted pine The Guardian

The Guardian

Image size is 8 7/8" x 5 7/8"

which I purchased from a seller in India who deals largely in Sanskrit manuscripts

perhaps forced by a parent nearby who has informed the artist of their child's acting aspirations

Wonderful Old Inuit Scrimshawed Bone Box painted pine The GuardianReally a wonderful, and curious little box, which I am quite confident is Inuit, and carved of bone I would guess Caribou bone antler as it feels very similar materially to a couple of Inuit dolls I've had, carved of Caribou bone and joined with thread made from sinew (ivalu), which is how the carved lock (which looks rather like a rudder) is secured and held tight via a knot on the opposite side of the box. I am not quite sure the original function