Carved whale skull could be 1,200 years old

A bowhead whale skull found on the southeast coast of Baffin Island and transformed into a work of art is thought to be several hundred years old.Thomas Webster, who runs the Iqaluit Fine Arts Studio, says similar bones that have been carbon dated are about 1,200 years old.Master carver Manasie Maniapik picked the 1.5-metre-wide skull up a couple of years ago in the Cumberland Sound area and carved it in March.It's currently being prepared for its new home at an art gallery in Switzerland.Webster says the delicately carved shamanic creatures, animals, and images of Inuit men make the skull a rare piece of art. "This is a man who obviously grew up and lived a large part of his early life on the land," he told CBC News. "He has the full Inuit experience. He's lived the life, and it shows in his work, it shows in all his work, so I think it is exceptional in that regard."