The community of Povungnituk, from which this sculpture likely originated, developed around a Hudson’s Bay Trading Post in the 1950s and quickly became known for the quality and realism of its carvings. Much of Povungnituk sculpture is characterized by themes of human, especially male, interaction and activity. Contest of Strength depicts a traditional type of competition in which two men test the strength of their legs by pushing them against each other. This theme appears in two other known works. This carving is unusual in that the contestants are joined hand to hand, rather than holding a pole between them.