Although Karoo rarely titled or commented on his sculptures, this piece is one of the few exceptions. Karoo revealed: "[This sculpture] represents a transferring of shaman power or the shaman spirit from one shaman to another. The larger head and hand are those of the shaman who is disappearing as his abilities pass over to the appearing shaman signified by the smaller head and hand." Karoo's use of the bone is significant, as the porous dark-coloured whalebone becomes the dying shaman, while the dense white bone depicts the emerging novice.