Steller's Eider

Steller's Eider
walrus ivory, permanent ink pigment
1.5”h x 1.5”w x 4.25”l

Carved by Ted Mayac Jr., King Island, Alaska, this wonderful male (drake) Steller's Eider is created from walrus ivory by Ted Mayac Jr.  The Mayac's are renown for their walrus ivory carvings of birds and ducks.  This piece exemplifies Ted's attention to detail, using several hand etching tools to create different lines, textures, and effects. Ted uses permanent inks and colored markers to replicate the natural colors of male Steller's Eider.  The piece is signed and dated.

Fun facts: A little-known but spectacular seaduck of the High Arctic, the Steller’s Eider is smaller and less oceangoing than the three other eider species. Males are rich orange-buff below with bold black-and-white patterns on the head and wings. For much of the year Steller's Eiders forage rather like a dabbling duck on worms, snails, crustaceans, seeds, and insect larvae—the heavy, broad bill is a hint to this foraging style. Outside the breeding season, Steller’s travel and feed in flocks, often diving synchronously when foraging, a stunning sight. 

Due to the extensive contraction of its breeding range, the Alaska-breeding population of Steller's eider was listed as vulnerable in 1997 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The species is protected in Estonia, Finland, Norway, Russia and the United States, and is the subject of an ongoing recovery plan by the European Union and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.