There are some little anomalies and the photographs are very clear and detailed. Nothing has been altered or masked on this carving

Signed and numbered. See photographs

https://inuit.net/artists/b-inuitarteskimoart-Papialuk_Josie-Pamiutu.html

Josie Pamiutu Papialuk (1918-1996), Puvirnituq (Povungnituk)

Born: 1918 Deceased: 1996 Male E9-861

       Place of Birth: near Issuksiuvit Lake

       Resides: Puvirnituq

       Sculpture, Drawings, Prints

                                                                                     

       Josie Pamiutu Papialuk, known also as "Josie Paperk" or simply "Puppy," was   

       born in 1918 near Issuksiuvit Lake, just inland from Povungnituk. After the  

       death of his wife Martha in 1975, he continued to live there with his only    

       surviving son. Josie is a very jovial man, regarded in the community as an   

       eccentric joker. His art is indicative of a special kind of genius: it       

       reveals both his profound sense of observation and a keen insight.            

                                                                                     

       Josie produces both carvings and prints. He was one of the first Povungnituk 

       artists to become involved in printmaking in the early 1960s. Initially, he  

       produced small, whimsical soapstone carvings of birds, fish and human heads.  

       Many elements of Josie's unique style are already apparent in some of his     

       early carvings: scratched footprints to indicate past or future directions,   

       and captions to explain the action.                                           

                                                                                     

       In both his carvings and prints, Josie employs undulating lines to depict such

       invisible phenomena as wind, voices or bird chatter. In the introduction to  

       the 1983 catalogue JOSIE PAPERK, Marion Scott remarked that "[Josie] has been 

       able to capture in a gentle, philosophical and sometimes humorous way, the    

       very essence of existence."1 George Swinton described his work as "naive     

       realism," a style which to this day remains puzzling to most Inuit artists.   

       Unlike many artists who might attempt to disguise a flaw in the stone, Josie  

       often directs attention to it by carving a circle around it. This attitude   

       towards maintaining and, to a certain extent, exploiting the integrity of the 

       materials used are shared by many contemporary southern artists.               

                                                                                     

       Josie's inclination towards whimsy does not cloud his artistic judgement. When

       asked why he sometimes puts only one leg on his birds, Josie answered "I put  

       the second leg on when I need the extra money."2                              

                                                                                     

       Josie's work has been exhibited in several important exhibitions since 1962.