This ivory figurine may have been worn as an amulet. The polar bear, 'Nanuk', symbolizes the link between the natural and spiritual world in Inuit culture. Polar bear are regarded as the most prized of all the animals. They are thought to be spiritually powerful animals that shape shift between bear and human form. They feature heavily in local legends, including one that says that if a dead polar bear is respected by the hunter who killed it, the bear's spirit will tell the other bears and encourage them to be killed by him.