Inuit & First Nations Art
MAY 24 - 29, 2024
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bid and view all lots online at www.waddingtons.ca
auction ends
Wednesday, May 29 starts to close at 7 pm ET
on preview
Thursday, May 23 from 10 am to 5 pm
Friday, May 24 from 10 am to 5 pm
Saturday, May 25 from 12 pm to 4 pm
Sunday, May 26 from 12 pm to 4 pm
Monday, May 27 from 10 am to 5 pm
Tuesday, May 28 from 10 am to 5 pm
Or by appointment
preview held at
275 King Street East, 2nd Floor Toronto, Ontario M5A 1K2
inuit art inuitart@waddingtons.ca
senior specialist
Palmer Jarvis 416-847-6191
consignment coordinator
Elizabeth Gagnon 416-847-6184
president, senior specialist
Duncan McLean
front cover
Various Lots
front inside cover
Lot 182
Davidee Mannumi
Transforming Spirit, ca. 1961 (detail)
opposite Lot 110
Jessie Oonark Untitled (Woman), 1972-1975
back inside cover
Lot 112
Unidentified Tlingit Artist
Standing Male Figure, ca. 1875
back cover
Lot 175
Beau Dick
Pook-Mis Mask (Spirit of the Nearly Drowned), 1989
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“We do not own these sculptures as much as we act as their custodians,” says Duncan McLean, Waddington’s president and senior specialist of Inuit Art. When assembling our major spring auction of Inuit and First Nations Art, it became apparent to McLean and Palmer Jarvis, senior specialist, that several of the pieces had originally been sold by Waddington’s decades earlier and were now returning to our auction block. Several had been outside of Canada for over 45 years, and have returned home, ready to enter the collections of a new generation who will take their own turn at caring for these masterworks.
McLean, who has been involved in Waddington’s Inuit auctions since the landmark 1978 sale of the William Eccles Collection, sees the return of these sculptures akin to renewing an acquaintance with an old friend. When the Eccles auction took place, collectors of Inuit art were few and far between, a small group of dedicated insiders. Today, the audience is broad and increasingly more international – no longer can this artform be considered an insider’s secret.
Several of the sculptures in this auction come to us from an important collection in Virginia. The pieces were carefully chosen, bought from sources including Waddington’s over a period of 19 years, primarily from 1979-1998. Jarvis says of the collection, “the breadth and quality of works chosen is really quite notable. In a period when international interest in Inuit art was in its early stages, they put together a collection, not just of works by important artists, but also really superlative examples.”
Waddington’s is pleased to again present a selection of exceptional Inuit and First Nations art. Important artworks include sculpture and graphics by Karoo Ashevak, Jessie Oonark, Kiakshuk, John Pangnark, Pauta Saila, Aisa Qupirualu Alasua, Parr, Osuitok Ipeelee, Kiugak Ashoona, Joe Talirunili, John Kavik, Kenojuak Ashevak, Johnny Inukpuk, Thomas Ugjuk, Ennutsiak, Davidialuk Alasua Amittu, Beau Dick, Charlie James, David Ruben Piqtoukun, Abraham Apakark Anghik, Manasie Akpaliapik, Judas Ullulaq, Barnabus Arnasungaaq, and John Tiktak.
We have enjoyed bringing this auction together. A sincere thank you to our consignors and bidders for your continued support.
Lot 161
Osuitok Ipeelee
Rearing Caribou, ca. 1995 (detail)
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100
LATCHOLASSIE AKESUK
ᓚᓴᓚᓯ ᐊᑲᓴ (1919-2000), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
SEAL, CA. 1975 stone; unsigned
5 x 13.75 x 2.25 in — 12.7 x 34.9 x 5.7 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$400 — 600
VIEW LOT
101
ATTRIBUTED TO JOHNNIEBO ASHEVAK
ᔭᓂᕗ ᐊᓴᕙ (1923-1972), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
SLINKING DOG, CA. 1960
stone; signed in syllabics “ᔭᓂ”
4.25 x 12.5 x 3 in — 10.8 x 31.8 x 7.6 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Ontario
$400 — 600
VIEW LOT
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VIEW LOT
102
UNIDENTIFIED
ARTIST, INUKJUAK (PORT HARRISON)
WOMAN WITH KAKINIIT (TATTOOS), CA. 1955
stone, soap inlay; unsigned; old collector’s inventory label on underside reads “2”
3.5 x 4 x 2.75 in — 8.9 x 10.2 x 7 cm
PROVENANCE:
Collection of Harold Pfeiffer, Ottawa, ON
Waddington’s Auctioneers, Toronto, ON, 16 Nov 1998, lot 217
Private Collection, Charlottesville, VA
$1,000 — 2,000
The work of an unidentified early Inukjuak (Port Harrison) sculptor, Woman with Kakiniit (Tattoos) is characterized by the artist’s rendering of the figure’s apparently joyous expression, finely incised Kakiniit, and the sculpture’s exquisitely polished surface.
The sculpture was collected by artist Harold Pfeiffer, and was previously offered at Waddington’s in 1998 as part of the estate of the collector. Harold Pfeiffer studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Quebec City from 1925-27. Pfeiffer then travelled to London and Paris in the early 1930s to further his artistic development at notable galleries including the British Museum, The Victoria and Albert, the Tate Gallery and the Louvre.1
During the early 1950s, Pfeiffer’s friends James and Alma Houston suggested that he join the federal department of Northern Affairs to work with tuberculosis patients in hospitals and rehabilitation centres in the Arctic. Pfeiffer would work with many of the important artists who were treated at the hospital, most notably Kenojuak Ashevak.
Over his lifetime, Pfeiffer sculpted many portraits of Inuit sitters with whom he was well acquainted. Some of Pfeiffer’s most exceptional portraits were of fellow artists.
Ninety-one portraits by Pfeiffer of Inuit and First Nations subjects are held in two major collections, Glenbow Museum in Calgary, and the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife. His work is also held in a number of other public collections, including the Itsanitaq Museum in Churchill, Manitoba, le Musée d’art in Joliette, Quebec, the RCMP Museum in Regina, Saskatchewan and the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec.
The Man Who Makes Heads with His Hands: The Art and Life of Harold Pfeiffer, Sculptor, was published just after his death in 1997.
1 John A. Stevens and Harold Pfeiffer, The Man Who Makes Heads with His Hands: The Art and Life of Harold Pfeiffer, Sculptor (Ontario: General Store Publishing House, 1997), 11, 17.
2 Waddington’s Auctioneers, Important Sale by Auction (Toronto: Island Communications, 1998), 3.
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VIEW LOT
103
PAULUSIKOTAK ALAKU ᐊᓚᑯ (1923-1971), SALLUIT (SUGLUK)
ELVIS, CA. 1963
stone; unsigned; disc number inscribed
5 x 5 x 3.5 in — 12.7 x 12.7 x 8.9 cm
PROVENANCE:
Collection of former Northern Affairs Administrator Archibald Frederick Flucke
By descent to the present Private Collection, Salmon Arm, BC
LITERATURE:
Elizabeth McLuhan and Tom Hill, Norval Morrisseau and the Emergence of the Image Makers (Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario, 1984), 19, pl. 4.
Michael Neill and Ted Fraser, Sugluk: Sculpture in Stone (Ontario: Art Gallery of Windsor, 1992), 45.
$2,000 — 3,000
In 1971 Paulusikotak Alaku disappeared along with brother Adami and cousin Quanak on a hunting excursion by canoe in the mouth of Salluit (Sugluk) Inlet. Important community leaders with large families, the three men were searched for extensively, but never found.1 Paulusi was a respected figure in Salluit who served on community councils from the beginning of local government, and later on the board of directors of the cooperative. He was also a talented artist.
The narrative content of early sculpture at Salluit was subject to restrictions imposed by the manager of the Hudson’s Bay store, as well as the proselytising efforts of missionaries. Artworks that did not meet the standards of managers were sometimes destroyed. Elvis narrowly escaped destruction in 1963 when it was saved by a public servant in Salluit, Archibald Frederick Flucke.2 The image of the rock and roll artist, translated in stone by Paulusi, flew in the face of the idealized and narrow depictions of historic life in Salluit that were typically selected to be sent south by the Hudson’s Bay store in the 1950 and 60s. Sculpted from stone atypical for Salluit, the exotic material for Elvis was likely imported to Salluit, and contributes to an appearance nearly unique to sculpture from the region.
Many works by Paulusi never reached outlets in the south, as his sculpture was often snapped up by visitors and local residents alike, who were intrigued by the artist’s skill and charismatic personality.. 3 The present work is published both in the 1984 book Norval Morrisseau and the Emergence of the Image Makers as well as in Sugluk: Sculpture in Stone in 1992. The sculpture is accompanied by an original letter from the publisher of the latter, enquiring after the inclusion of the sculpture in the seminal text.
1 A. Barry Roberts, The Inuit Artists of Sugluk, P.Q (Quebec: La Federation des Co-operatives du Nouveau Quebec, 1976), 23.
2 Elizabeth McLuhan and Tom Hill, Norval Morrisseau and the Emergence of the Image Makers (Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario, 1984), 19, pl. 4.
3 Roberts, The Inuit Artists of Sugluk, P.Q., 25
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104
LAISA QAYUARYUK ᓕᓯ (1935-2008), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
WOMAN BURDENED WITH SEAL, CA. 1970 stone; unsigned; old inventory sticker verso inscribed: “Liza...”
14.5 x 8 x 6 in — 36.8 x 20.3 x 15.2 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Ontario
$1,500 — 2,500
VIEW LOT
105
JOE TALIRUNILI ᔪᐅ ᑕᓚᕈᓂᓕ (1893-1976), PUVIRNITUQ (POVUNGNITUK)
WOMAN WITH CATCH, CA. 1965 stone; signed in Roman 6 x 3.25 x 1.75 in — 15.2 x 8.3 x 4.4 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Toronto, ON $4,000 — 6,000
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VIEW LOT
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106
PITALOOSIE SAILA ᐱᑕᓗᓯ
, RCA (1942-2021), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
WOMAN AND SNOW BIRD II, 2005 etching and aquatint; titled, dated and numbered 47/50; artist’s name in Roman and syllabics sheet 31.5 x 23.75 in — 80 x 60.3 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Vermont, USA
$1,500 — 2,500 VIEW LOT
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107
JESSIE OONARK ᔪᓯ ᐃᓇ, OC, RCA (1906-1985), QAMANI’TUAQ (BAKER LAKE) BIG WOMAN, 1974
stonecut and stencil; titled, dated and numbered 38/50; artist’s and printer’s name in Roman and syllabics
25 x 36.5 in — 63.5 x 92.7 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$3,000 — 5,000 VIEW LOT
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108
KENOJUAK ASHEVAK ᑭᓄᐊᔪᐊ ᐊᓯᕙ
CC, RCA (1927-2013), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
RESPLENDENT OWLS, 2005
stonecut and stencil; titled, dated and numbered 52/70; artist’s name in Roman and syllabics sheet 24.25 x 30 in — 61.6 x 76.2 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Vermont, USA
$3,000 — 4,000 VIEW LOT
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109
KENOJUAK ASHEVAK ᑭᓄᐊᔪᐊ ᐊᓯᕙ
CC, RCA (1927-2013), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
IQALUTSIAVAK (BEAUTIFUL FISH), 2005
stonecut and stencil; titled, dated and numbered 6/50; artist’s name in Roman and syllabics sheet 26.25 x 32 in — 66.7 x 81.3 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Vermont, USA
$2,000 — 3,000 VIEW LOT
JESSIE OONARK ᔪᓯ ᐃᓇ, OC, RCA (1906-1985), QAMANI’TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
UNTITLED (WOMAN), 1972-1975
wool, felt, thread, embroidery floss; signed in syllabics verso 50 x 32 in — 127 x 81.3 cm
PROVENANCE:
Collection of Canadian Arctic Producers, Ottawa, ON Private Collection, Connecticut, USA
LITERATURE:
Art Gallery of Ontario, The People Within (Toronto: Yorkville Press, 1976), unpaged, pl. 53.
$30,000 — 40,000
An artist of exceptionally fertile imagination and seemingly boundless creative energy, Jessie Oonark produced a truly remarkable body of drawings, prints and nivingajuliat (wall hangings) over her long career.
A departure from conventions of square and rectangular presentation, the present remarkable nivingajuliat, Untitled (Woman in Amauti) is a striking example from a period of experimentation in the early to mid-1970s in which Oonark investigated a series of unconventional nivingajuliat profiles, including ulus, human figures, and snow beaters.1
Raised by her three-times windowed mother and close relatives, an observant young Oonark learned many traditional lifeways from elders that would inform her later imagery.2 As in the artist’s iconic print Woman from 1970, in Untitled (Woman in Amauti) Oonark has been meticulous in her translation of the three-dimensional amauti and its ritual designs into the two-dimensional imagery of the nivingajuliat.
It is notable that the abstraction and symmetry for which Oonark’s art is known is one of the defining characteristics of traditional amauti designs. In the present work Oonark has carried the amautiit compositional elements over into her portrayal of the young woman wearing it. Both figure and garment are near fully symmetrical, and united in the artist’s use of vibrant colour.
Figural profile nivingajuliat by Oonark are exceptionally uncommon. One known example was exhibited in the 1986 Winnipeg Art Gallery Jessie Oonark a Retrospective. A second, collected in Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake) in 1981 was sold at Waddington’s, June 9, 2022. Both known examples depict men whose faces are seen in side-profile. The present nivingajuliat is remarkable for its front profile depiction of a young woman.
Formerly in the collection of Canadian Arctic Producers, Untitled (Woman in Amauti) has not been seen publicly since it was displayed in the Art Gallery of Ontario’s exhibition The People Within, held in 1976.
1 Jean Blodgett and Marie Bouchard, Jessie Oonark: A Retrospective (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1986), 65.
2 Blodgett and Bouchard, Jessie Oonark, 8.
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VIEW LOT
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UNIDENTIFIED AINU ARTIST
ATTUSH CEREMONIAL ROBE AND SAPANPE FORMERLY BELONGING TO MANASIE AKPALIAPIK, CA. 1989
elmbark fiber, cotton, embroidery thread, indigo dye, wood, willow shavings; inscribed in hiragana on paper wrapping “ゆあつらえ” (custom made)
47.5 x 52.25 x 2 in — 120.7 x 132.7 x 5.1 cm
PROVENANCE:
Acquired directly from Manasie Akpaliapik by the present Private Collection, Toronto, ON, ca. 1990
$2,000 — 4,000
Acquired from the sculptor Manasie Akpaliapik circa 1990 by an art dealer and friend of the artist, this Ainu attush ceremonial robe and sapanpe (ceremonial headdress) is reputed to have been gifted to Akpaliapik on behalf of the Ainu at the 1989 Ainu Cultural Society conference in Shraoi Hokaido, Japan during the artist’s attendance. Historically, Ainu robes were made for utilitarian use as well as ceremonial applications. Ceremonial Ainu robes are important objects of prestige and rarely worn. The present robe is accompanied by a sapanpe bearing a carved effigy of a bear head. The sapanpe is typically worn during Iomante (sending off the bear) ceremonies and other festivals, or to celebrate important guests.
HALI. "Anatomy of an object: Ainu attush robe." HALI. July 1, 2020. https://hali.com/news/anatomy-of-an-object-ainu-attush-robe/
VIEW LOT
112
UNIDENTIFIED TLINGIT ARTIST, SHEET’-KÁ X’ÁAT’L (BARANOF ISLAND)
STANDING MALE FIGURE, CA. 1875
wood, natural pigments; inscribed on base: “20738 / Sitka / Alaska / Swan”
15 x 5.25 x 5.25 in — 38.1 x 13.3 x 13.3 cm
PROVENANCE:
James Gilchrist Swan, Washington, USA, ca. 1875 acquired from the above by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20 Jan 1876
Deaccessioned to Baron L. Ambrozy, Vienna, 22 Jun 1905
Private Collection, Austria
EXHIBITED:
Centennial International Exhibition, Philadelphia, PA, 1876
$7,000 — 9,000
VIEW LOT
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A number of male and female figures similar to dolls but exhibiting shamanistic characteristics were made by Tlingit in the 19th century. Contextual and stylistic elements of the figures suggest that they may have been the tools of Ixt’ (shaman), although some sources suggest they may have been dolls made to acquaint children with the appearance of Ixt’ so that they might be avoided. 1
The present sculpture is one of a suite of eight Tlingit figures exhibiting shamanitic imagery collected on and around Sheet’-ká X’áat’l (Baranof Island) by James Gilchrist Swan (1818-1900) in 1875. Swan’s acquisitions of that year were made on behalf of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution, for display the following year at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, and to revert to the collection of the Smithsonian upon the close of the exhibition.2 The present figure was deaccessioned in 1905 in an exchange with Baron L. Ambrozy of Vienna. The remaining seven figures continue to be held in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution.3
Of the figures remaining in the Smithsonian, one figure, accession number NMNH 20737, appears to be carved by the same hand as the present sculpture. Nearly identical in scale and closely related in design, it depicts a female counterpart to the present male figure. Notably NMNH 20737 is portrayed grasping a land otter, a mythological creature closely associated with the otherworldly power of the Ixt’.
Objects with shamanistic imagery were both the subject of taboo, as well as commercial enterprise in the 19th century on the Northwest Coast. The comparative brightness, lack of oxidation, and wear on the figures held in the Smithsonian suggest that the present example might have been manufactured at the time of Swan’s 1875 acquisition. Swan’s well-documented preference for newly-made goods often resulted in objects being commissioned in the communities in which he collected.4
1 Allen Wardwell, Tangible Visions: Northwest Coast Indian Shamanism and its Art (New York: Monacelli Press, 2009), 309.
2 Douglas Cole, Captured Heritage, The Scramble for Northwest Coast Artefacts (Washington: University of Washington Press, 1985), 21.
3 Smithsonian Institution, “Catalogue Numbers 20726-20750”, Vol. 5A (unpublished ledger), 37.
4 Cole, Captured Heritage, 32.
CHARLIE JAMES (YAKUGLAS) (1867-1938), KWAKWAKA’WAKW
MODEL TOTEM POLE, CA. 1915 wood, paint; unsigned
17.5 x 8.25 x 4 in — 44.5 x 21 x 10.2 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, British Columbia
$1,500 — 2,500
VIEW LOT
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114
UNIDENTIFIED HAIDA OR TLINGIT ARTIST
PAINTED AND CARVED PADDLE, CA. 1890
wood, paint
35 x 4.75 x .75 in — 88.9 x 12.1 x 1.9 cm
Provenance:
Private Collection, British Columbia
$2,500 — 3,500
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115
UNIDENTIFIED TLINGIT ARTIST
SHAMAN’S AMULET WITH RAVEN AND DEVILFISH DESIGN, CA. 1865
bone; on custom display stand
8 x 1.25 x .25 in — 20.3 x 3.2 x 0.6 cm
Provenance:
Charles and Francis Reif Collection by repute
Seahawk Auctions, Burnaby, BC, 27 Oct 2008, lot 72
Private Collection, British Columbia
$3,000 — 4,000
The Tlingit Ixt’ (shaman) wore amulets either as individual pendants, as part of a group making up necklaces, or sewn to tunics or aprons. The vast majority of examples are pierced to accommodate attachment. The imagery on the present example punningly intermingles the form of a raven with a devilfish or octopus, a creature often associated with shamanastic activities. The form of this example is unusual in its explicit articulation of the head and eyes of the devilfish, whose presence is more typically implied by rows of tendrils punctuated with the creature’s many suckers.
UNIDENTIFIED MI’KMAQ ARTIST
QUILLED LIDDED BOX, CA. 1867
porcupine quills, dyes, wood, birch bark, spruce root; inscribed internally in pen and ink “Oct, 19th 1867 / Sept 1887”
4.5 x 8.5 x 6.75 in — 11.4 x 21.6 x 17.1 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Ontario
$2,500 — 3,500
From the time of the earliest written accounts of the Mi’kmaq, their exceptional quillwork was noted.1 Made from perishable organic material, the earliest known Mi’kmaq use of quillwork is unknown, but by the turn of the 19th century it was a well-developed artform.
The box is inscribed on the inside of the lid in pen and ink with two dates, 1867 and 1887. It is probable that it is the first date which most closely coincides with the box’s date of manufacture, a fact testified to both by the exceptional fineness and uniformity of the quillwork typical of the earlier date, but also by the use of vivid dye. Strong black and brilliant blue colouration present in some of the quills is typical of dyes in use between 1860-1865.2
Motifs embellishing the box include a chevron design said to reference the fir-tree, a symbol of “venerable age and strength;” also present is a drawn apart X design, the so called V-insertion pattern which was documented in W.D. Wallis 1955 publication The Micmac Indians of Eastern Canada as possibly being associated with a Cape Breton Mi’kmaq band.3
1 Ruth Holmes Whitehead, Micmac Quillwork: Micmac Indian Techniques of Porcupine Quill Decoration: 1600-1950 (Halifax: The Nova Scotia Museum, 1982), 5.
2 Whitehead, Micmac Quillwork, unpaged section, pl. 18.
3 Ibid, 146, 147.
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VIEW LOT
UNIDENTIFIED MI’KMAQ ARTIST
QUILLED LIDDED BOX, CA. 1900
porcupine quills, aniline dye, birch bark, wood, spruce root, sweet grass, nails
4.25 x 7.75 x 5.25 in — 10.8 x 19.7 x 13.3 cm
PROVENANCE:
Crowther and Brayley Auctions, Halifax, NS
Private Collection, Halifax, NS
RELATED WORKS:
Canadian Museum of History, Cat. No. CMH III-F-79 a-b. https://www.historymuseum.ca/collections/artifact/33080
$900 — 1,200
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PAULASSIE POOTOOGOOK ᐸᐅᓚᓯ
, RCA (1927-2006), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
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QULLIQ AND TAQQUTI, CA. 1955
stone, ivory, antler, wood; signed and titled in syllabics; Albrecht Collection inventory number inscribed
8 x 10.5 x 5.5 in — 20.3 x 26.7 x 14 cm
PROVENANCE:
Dan and Martha Albrecht Collection
Private Estate, Ontario
$700 — 900
Item may be subject to CITES restrictions.
UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST, KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
QUILLIQ, CA. 1965 stone; unsigned
3 x 14 x 6 in — 7.6 x 35.6 x 15.2 cm
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PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$700 — 900 VIEW LOT
KIUGAK (KIAWAK) ASHOONA ᑭᐊᒐ, OC, RCA (1933-2014), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
SEA SPIRIT TRANSFORMATION, CA. 1965 stone; unsigned
4.25 x 11.75 x 1.5 in — 10.8 x 29.8 x 3.8 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$4,000 — 6,000 VIEW LOT
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KIAKSHUK ᑭᐊᓱ (1886-1966), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
MOTHER WITH CHILD IN AMAUTI, CA. 1962 stone; unsigned; old inventory number inscribed on bottom right foot
7.25 x 3.5 x 3.25 in — 18.4 x 8.9 x 8.3 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Estate, Ontario
$2,500 — 3,500
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VIEW LOT
122
KENOJUAK ASHEVAK ᑭᓄᐊᔪᐊ ᐊᓯᕙ, CC, RCA (1927-2013), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
UNTITLED (WOMAN KNEELING), 1994/1995 coloured pencil and ink drawing; signed in syllabics; dated; embossed with the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative chop; inscribed verso: “DR080620 / CD040-2527-abd-94/95-16 - 51 x 53.7” sheet 20 x 21 in — 50.8 x 53.3 cm
PROVENANCE:
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver, Vancouver, BC
Private Collection, Ontario
$3,000 — 4,000
One of two original drawings by Kenojuak in this auction, this example is notable for its relation to the artist’s famous 1960 stonecut, The Woman Who Lives in the Sun. Though this drawing was made over 30 years later, the bulbous rays which flank the central composition can be seen to be more refined and decorative versions of that earlier sun’s blaze.
In the Inuit cosmology, the sun is identified as female while the moon is male, in direct contrast to most other cultures’ reversed gender roles. Though narratives vary across the vast territory of the Arctic, the broad myth tells of two siblings, the moon-brother (Taqqiq) and his sun-sister (Siqniq). Taqqiq – either accidentally or on purpose – fondles or has sex with Siqniq. In retaliation, she lights a torch and chases him around the community to shame him. The moon, not to be outdone, chases her in return, and the two run so far that they end up in the sky to pursue each other for eternity.1
For the Inuit, the sun is largely absent for much of the year and is not relied on for agriculture or even wayfinding – an Arctic moon is a perfectly adequate substitute for hunters in deep winter. Yet the sun’s return after the long polar night is marked by special festivities and rituals, signifying the beginning of a new year and the return of easier hunting conditions. Lengthening days are cause for happiness and celebration in the Arctic, which might have prompted Kenojuak to draw this portrait of a woman kneeling in the sun.
1 Helga Goetz and William E. Taylor, The Inuit Print: a travelling exhibition of the National Museum of Man, National Museums of Canada, and the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs (Ottawa: National Museum of Man, National Museums of Canada, 1977), 58.
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123
KENOJUAK ASHEVAK ᑭᓄᐊᔪᐊ ᐊᓯᕙ, CC, RCA (1927-2013), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
UNTITLED (OWL), 2010
coloured pencil and graphite drawing; signed in syllabics; dated; embossed with the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative chop; inscribed verso: “DR110424 / CD040-3072abd-2010-03/11 - 65 x 50 CM / 18026 / June 18/10”
sheet 25.5 x 19.75 in — 64.8 x 50.2 cm
PROVENANCE:
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver, Vancouver, BC
Private Collection, Ontario
$4,000 — 5,000
Owls never ceased to interest Kenojuak, from her earliest creations to those made at the end of her life. She used them as a subject for over 100 different prints as well as her original drawings, as on offer here. In return, they would define many of the pinnacles of her celebrated career, including her Enchanted Owl, which smashed market records for the artist’s work at auction when sold at Waddington’s in 2018 for $216,000.
Beginning in the early 1960s, Kenojuak introduced foliage and flowers to enhance her avian images and their often fantastically-hued plumage. In this drawing, Kenojuak’s owl is naturalistically coloured in brown, grey and yellow, while the buds which flank it burst forth into bright purple and red.
Notably, Kenojuak used coloured pencil instead of felt-tip marker in Untitled (Owl) which allowed her to create smooth panes of colour, echoing the pleasing flatness of many of her printed editions. Regarding her choice of colours, in 1980, Kenojuak told Jean Blodgett: “The colours are part of an informal system that I have. I select two colours that will go side by side, lining them up, saying that these two look good together. I use that system for my colouring and don’t change it halfway through the drawing.” 1
For the second original drawing by Kenojuak in this auction, please see lot 122, Untitled (Woman Kneeling), 1994/1995.
1 Inuit Art Foundation. "30 Ways to Describe an Owl." Inuit Art Foundation. August 4, 2020. https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/iaq-online/30-ways-to-describe-an-owl-according-to-kenojuak-ashevak
VIEW LOT
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124
IYOLA KINGWATSIAK ᑭᒍᐊᓯᐊ (1933-2000), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
CIRCLE OF BIRDS, 1966
stencil; titled, dated and numbered 23/50; artist’s name in Roman and syllabics sight 16.25 x 21.75 in — 41.3 x 55.2 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Ontario
$800 — 1,200 VIEW LOT
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125
PUDLO PUDLAT ᐳᓗ ᐳᓚ (1916-1992), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
CARIBOU IN WINTER LIGHT, 1986 stencil; titled, dated and numbered 9/50; artist’s name in Roman and syllabics sheet 25 x 30.5 in — 63.5 x 77.5 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Ontario
$2,000 — 3,000
VIEW LOT
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126
PARR ᐸ (1893-1969), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
COMPOSITION WITH HUNTER AND ANIMALS, CA. 1965 graphite drawing; unsigned sheet 16.25 x 13.75 in — 41.3 x 34.9 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Toronto, ON $2,500 — 3,500
VIEW LOT
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127
LUKE ANGUHADLUQ ᓗᐅᒃ ᐊᒐᓴᓗ (1895-1982), QAMANI’TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
UNTITLED (DRUM DANCE AND FISH WEIR), 1972 coloured pencil drawing; signed in syllabics; disc number inscribed; inscribed in pencil verso “Anguhadluq / 300.00 / 25273 / 1972” sheet 21.75 x 29.75 in — 55.2 x 75.6 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Hamilton, ON $3,000 — 4,000 VIEW LOT
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128
LUKE ANGUHADLUQ ᓗᐅᒃ ᐊᒐᓴᓗ (1895-1982), QAMANI’TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
UNTITLED (MANY FIGURES), CA. 1975 graphite and coloured pencil drawing; signed in syllabics; disc number inscribed; inscribed in pencil verso “Anguhadluq” sheet 23 x 29 in — 58.4 x 73.7 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Hamilton, ON
$3,000 — 4,000 VIEW LOT
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129
LUKE ANGUHADLUQ ᓗᐅᒃ ᐊᒐᓴᓗ (1895-1982),
QAMANI’TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
UNTITLED (WOMEN AND FISHERMEN), CA. 1975 coloured pencil drawing; signed in syllabics; disc number inscribed sight 22.25 x 28.25 in — 56.5 x 71.8 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Toronto, ON
RELATED WORKS:
Cynthia Waye Cook, From the Centre: The Drawings of Luke Anguhadluq (Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario, 1993), 56, pl. 49.
$3,000 — 4,000
ENNUTSIAK ᐃᓄᓯᐊ (1896-1967), IQALUIT (FROBISHER BAY)
MENDING CHILD’S AMAUTI, CA. 1960
stone, ivory; signed in syllabics
3.75 x 7.5 x 5 in — 9.5 x 19.1 x 12.7 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Ottawa, ON
Walker’s Auctioneers, Ottawa, ON, 12 Jun 2019, lot 139
Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$7,000 — 10,000
Item may be subject to CITES restrictions.
VIEW LOT
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ENNUTSIAK ᐃᓄᓯᐊ (1896-1967), IQALUIT (FROBISHER BAY)
MOTHER AND CHILD, CA. 1960
stone; unsigned
3.75 x 3.75 x 2.75 in — 9.5 x 9.5 x 7 cm
PROVENANCE:
Collection of former Northern Affairs
Administrator Archibald Frederick Flucke By descent to the present Private Collection, Salmon Arm, BC
$700 — 1,000
ATTRIBUTED TO AKEEAKTASHUK ᐊᑭᐊᑐᓱ (1898-1954), INUKJUAK (PORT HARRISON)
HUNTER, CA. 1950 stone, ivory; unsigned
4.25 x 2.25 x 1 in — 10.8 x 5.7 x 2.5 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Ontario
$1,500 — 2,500
Item may be subject to CITES restrictions.
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LUCASSIE KUMARLUK ᓗᑲᓯ (B. 1921), INUKJUAK (PORT HARRISON)
FATHER TEACHING SON TO HUNT, CA. 1960
stone, ivory, sinew; both signed in syllabics; disc number inscribed largest 8.75 x 4.75 x 4.5 in — 22.2 x 12.1 x 11.4 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Estate, Ontario
$700 — 1,000
Item may be subject to CITES restrictions.
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MARC ALIKASWA ᒪᐊᒃ ᐃᓕᑲᓴ (1928-2008), QAMANI’TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
MOTHER AND CHILD, CA. 1970 stone; unsigned
4 x 3.5 x 3 in — 10.2 x 8.9 x 7.6 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Ontario
$400 — 500
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VIEW LOT
JOHN PANGNARK ᔭᓐ ᐸᓇ (1920-1980), ARVIAT (ESKIMO POINT)
WAVING FIGURE, CA. 1968 stone; signed in syllabics
4.25 x 2.25 x 1 in — 10.8 x 5.7 x 2.5 cm
PROVENANCE:
Dennis Webster, Arviat, NU
Waddington’s Auctioneers, Toronto, ON, 6 Dec 1995, lot 1042 Private Collection, Charlottesville, VA
$2,000 — 3,000
The present sculpture is one of a small number of early Pangnark figures collected by former Arviat Crafts Officer Dennis Webster, and first consigned to Waddington’s in 1995.
Notably, Pangnarks consigned to Waddington’s by Webster in ‘95 are characterized by their early, almost experimental forms.1
Webster was an important figure in the history of Arviat sculpture. Arriving in Arviat as Crafts Officer in 1966, he encouraged many of the early artists to pursue carving. In the 1993 Government of Canada catalogue, Pelts to Stone, artists Lucy Tasseor Tutsweetok, and Mary Ayaq Anowtalik identified Webster as the first person to encourage them and others in Arviat to begin sculpting.2
1 Waddington’s Auctioneers, Important Sale by Auction, Fall 1995 (Toronto: Waddington McLean & Company Ltd., 1995), 55, 62, lots 1042, 1049.
2 Mark Kalluak, Pelts to Stone: A History of Arts and Crafts Production in Arviat (Ottawa: Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, 1993), 31, 36.
RELATED WORKS: George Swinton, Sculpture of the Eskimo (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Ltd., 1972), 210, pl. 615, pl. 621.
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VIEW LOT
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KAROO ASHEVAK ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974), TALOYOAK (SPENCE BAY)
SPIRIT, 1972
whalebone, antler, stone; signed in syllabics
14.5 x 13 x 6 in — 36.8 x 33 x 15.2 cm
PROVENANCE:
Galerie Lippel, Montreal, QC
Private Collection, Montreal, QC
Waddington’s Auctioneers, Toronto, ON, 6 Dec 1995, lot 1056
Private Collection, Ontario
First Arts, Toronto, ON, 12 Jul 2020
Private Collection, Toronto, ON
EXHIBITED:
Lippel Gallery, Montreal, QC, 1974
LITERATURE:
Leon Lippel, Inuit Sculpture 1974 (Montreal: Lippel Gallery Inc., 1974), 43. Pamela Harris, Karoo Ashevak Spirits (New York: American Indian Arts Center, 1973), unpaged, pl. 11.
$30,000 — 50,000
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VIEW LOT
With their ingenuity and unique vision, Karoo’s sculptures continue to intrigue generation after generation of collectors with their mix of imagination and humour.
Karoo’s preferred medium was whalebone due to the wonderfully abstract and curvilinear shapes of the bones in their unaltered state. These forms lent themselves to Karoo’s visions of the spirit world. Per Pamela Harris, “his approach to his work is unlike that of most Eskimo carvers, who believe that the form of the finished carving already exists within any piece of stone or bone and who consider that the carver’s work is to free that form from the material that has kept it confined. Ashevak always begins his carvings with an idea in mind and then choses material of appropriate sizes and shapes. It is with the grotesque and wonderful pieces of whalebone that his genius has exploded.” 1
He worked the whalebone using simple tools: a carpenter’s saw, files, and a drill. Karoo especially loved working with a drill, and would use it to hollow out nostrils in many of his most signature creations, as evidenced in both Karoo sculptures in this auction, lots 136 and 168.
1972 was a pivotal year in Karoo’s short career, a year which included his first solo show in Toronto in March, as well as a great burst of creativity on the artistic front. This Spirit, in contrast with other sculptures, is serene, its face sweetly upturned to the sky with an enigmatic Mona Lisa-esque smile. It is an elegant form, pared down to its essence. Though Karoo was noted for his enjoyment of introducing “moving parts” in his work, this sculpture is concise and unto itself.
Karoo’s sculptures, though they can often be variations on a theme or an idea he was working out, are always unique. Jean Blodgett writes that “Each sculpture is an integral unit representing a particular being, without reference to specific myths, stories or daily events…The images in Ashevak’s sculpture originate in the general culture and tradition of the Eskimo, but the works are not so specific in reference as to be bound by this ethnic origin…The cultural heritage and consequent meaning strengthen and enrich the images but do not restrict them - the work can speak to those who have no knowledge of the Eskimo or his culture.” Though distinctly Karoo, his figures are never repeated, making this Spirit a work not to be missed.
1 Pamela Harris, Karoo Ashevak Spirits (New York: American Indian Arts Center, 1973), unpaged.
2 Jean Blodgett, Karoo Ashevak: Winnipeg Art Gallery, March 30 to June 5, 1977 (Winnipeg: The Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1977), unpaged.
Item may be subject to CITES restrictions.
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ABRAHAM APAKARK ANGHIK ᐊᐃᐊᔭᑲ ᐊᐸᑲ ᐊᒋ, OC (B. 1951), PAULATUK
RAVENS AND SPIRITS, CA. 2000 whalebone; no visible signature
27 x 37 x 16 in — 68.6 x 94 x 40.6 cm
PROVENANCE:
Images Art Gallery, Toronto, ON Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$3,000 — 4,000
Item may be subject to CITES restrictions.
GEORGE ARLUK ᐊᓗ (1949-2023), ARVIAT (ESKIMO POINT)
TRANSFORMATION, CA. 1977
stone; signed in syllabics
18.5 x 10.25 x .75 in — 47 x 26 x 1.9 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Toronto, ON
RELATED WORKS:
Waddington’s Auctioneers, Toronto, ON, 30 May 1989, lot 529
$1,500 — 2,500
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139
POOTOOGOOK KINGWATSIAK ᐳᑐᒍ (B. 1936), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
THE DESTINY OF AKMGIRK, 1960
sealskin stencil; titled, dated and numbered 48/50; artist’s name in Roman sight 16 x 10.75 in — 40.6 x 27.3 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Ontario
$2,000 — 3,000
VIEW LOT
140
PARR ᐸ (1893-1969), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
GEESE AND INTRUDERS, 1967 stonecut; numbered 44/50; artist’s name in Roman sheet 39.25 x 24.75 in — 99.7 x 62.9 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$3,000 — 5,000
VIEW LOT
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141
KIAKSHUK ᑭᐊᓱ (1886-1966), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
SUMMER TENT, 1960
sealskin stencil; titled, dated and numbered 27/50; artist’s name in Roman sight 14.5 x 22 in — 36.8 x 55.9 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Ontario
$3,000 — 4,000
VIEW LOT
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JESSIE OONARK ᔪᓯ ᐃᓇ, OC, RCA (1906-1985), QAMANI’TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
UNTITLED (MUSK OX), CA. 1967 stonecut; unmarked trial proof; stamped with Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake) chop
22.25 x 30 in — 56.5 x 76.2 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Toronto, ON
RELATED WORKS: Jean Blodgett and Marie Bouchard, Jessie Oonark A Retrospective (Winnipeg: Kromar Printing Ltd., 1986), 101, pl. 19, 108, pl. 32, 111, pl. 35.
$1,500 — 2,500
VIEW LOT
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PAUNICHEA ᐸᓂᓯ (1920-1968), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
FISHING SCENE, 1963
stencil; titled, dated and numbered 26/50; artist’s name in syllabics; inscription verso sheet 24.25 x 28.25 in — 61.6 x 71.8 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Estate, Ontario
$600 — 900
VIEW LOT
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144
KANANGINAK POOTOOGOOK ᑲᓇᒋᓇ ᐳᑐᒍᑭ, RCA (1935-2010), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
THE FIRST TOURIST, 1992
lithograph; titled, dated and numbered 23/50; artist’s name in Roman and syllabics sheet 22.5 x 28 in — 57.2 x 71.1 cm
PROVENANCE:
Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, ON, 2003
Private Estate, Ontario
$700 — 900
VIEW LOT
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145
UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST, POSSIBLY KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
SCENE ON LAND AND IN AIR
experimental batik on fabric; unsigned
15.5 x 23 in — 39.4 x 58.4 cm
PROVENANCE:
Collection of former Northern Affairs Administrator Archibald Frederick Flucke By descent to the present Private Collection, Salmon Arm, BC
$500 — 700
VIEW LOT
Before the creation of the legendary 1959 print release at Kinngait (Cape Dorset), James Houston travelled to Japan to gain knowledge about traditional Japanese printing techniques that would be invaluable in the development of printmaking in the Arctic. Intent on studying with master printmaker Un’ichi Hiratsuka, Houston also worked with other Japanese printmakers including Shiko Munakata, Shoji Hamada, Keisuke Serizawa, Kichiemon Okamura, Sadoa Watanabe, and Yoshito Mori.1 Back in Kinngait, Osuitok Ipeelee, Iyola Kingwatsiak, Eegyvudluk Pootoogook, Kananginak Pootoogook, and Lukta Qiatsuk worked with techniques brought back by Houston, manipulating, adapting and developing them to suit their needs and preferences. An artist himself, and eager to teach by example, James Houston was not to be left behind. Houston made prints of his own, including his iconic 1959 portrait of the mysterious artist Niviaksiak.
The present print block portrait of an unidentified Inuk dates circa 1959 and is from the personal collection of Terry Ryan, the first art advisor and general manager of the West Baffin Co-operative.
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146
JAMES ARCHIBALD HOUSTON, OC, FRSA (1921-2005), CANADIAN
UNTITLED (FIGURE SITTING), CA. 1959
linoleum and fibre-board print block
10 x 9 in — 25.4 x 22.9 cm
PROVENANCE:
The Collection of Terry Ryan
Private Collection, Ontario
$1,000 — 2,000
VIEW LOT
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147
JAMES ARCHIBALD HOUSTON, OC, FRSA (1921-2005), CANADIAN
UNTITLED (OWL AND OWLETS), CA. 1959
linoleum print block
8 x 8.75 in — 20.3 x 22.2 cm
PROVENANCE: The Collection of Terry Ryan Private Collection, Ontario
$1,000 — 1,500 VIEW LOT
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148
MARY PITSEOLAK ᒥᕆ ᐱᓯᐅᓚ (B. 1931), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
TWO SMALL BIRDS, 1963 stonecut; titled, dated and numbered 4/50; artist’s name in syllabics; inscription verso sheet 18.25 x 12.25 in — 46.4 x 31.1 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Estate, Ontario
$400 — 600 VIEW LOT
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VIEW LOT
KENOJUAK ASHEVAK ᑭᓄᐊᔪᐊ ᐊᓯᕙ, CC, RCA (1927-2013)
JOHNNIEBO ASHEVAK ᔭᓂᕗ ᐊᓴᕙ (1923-1972), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
TWO BIRDS, CA. 1965
stone; left: no visible signature; right: signed in syllabics “ᔭᓂ” right 9.75 x 9 x 4.25 in — 24.8 x 22.9 x 10.8 cm; left 5.5 x 9.5 x 4.25 in — 14 x 24.1 x 10.8 cm;
PROVENANCE:
Waddington’s Auctioneers, Toronto, ON, 27 Nov 1986, lot 967
An important Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$5,000 — 7,000
Beginning in the mid 1950s, before taking up drawing Kenojuak Ashevak and her first husband Johnniebo expressed their visions in stone. Kenojuak continued carving a modest number of sculptures until the end of her long career, and Johnniebo carved until his death in 1972. Attribution of sculptures by the pair can be difficult as both are documented as having signed some of each other’s artworks, and possibly collaborated on others.1
The present sculptures date ca. 1960 and are among the couple’s earlier examples. Confidently sculpted and finely finished, they exhibit less exaggerated, more life-like proportions than many of Kenouak’s or Johnniebo’s later investigations of avian subjects.
In the 1990s images of the two sculptures were shown in Kinngait (Cape Dorset) to artist and studio manager of the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative, Jimmy Manning. When Manning was asked who they were made by, he scoffed at the apparent naivety of the enquiry, answering that they were the work of Kenojuak.2
1 Richard C. Crandall, Inuit Art A History (North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2000), 142.
2 Jimmy Manning, personal communication with the author, ca. 1999.
POSSIBLY GEORGE TATANIQ ᑕᑕᓂ (1910-1991), QAMANI’TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
MUSK OX, CA. 1970 stone; unsigned
3.75 x 6.25 x 2.25 in — 9.5 x 15.9 x 5.7 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$250 — 350
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BARNABUS ARNASUNGAAQ ᐸᓇᐸᓯ ᐊᓇᓴᒐ (1924-2017),
QAMANI’TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
STRIDING MUSK OX, CA. 1970 stone; signed in syllabics
9 x 14 x 6 in — 22.9 x 35.6 x 15.2 cm
PROVENANCE:
Duane MacMillan, Saskatchewan, 1974
Private Collection, Charlottesville, VA
EXHIBITED:
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Inuit Art from the Canadian Arctic, Bayly Art Museum, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 1994
$8,000 — 12,000
KIUGAK (KIAWAK) ASHOONA ᑭᐊᒐ OC, RCA (1933-2014), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
DANCING WALRUS, CA. 1963
stone, ivory; unsigned; inscribed “5-25”
10.5 x 7.5 x 7.5 in — 26.7 x 19.1 x 19.1 cm
PROVENANCE:
The Snow Goose Gallery, Ottawa, ON, 1974
Private Collection, Charlottesville, VA
EXHIBITED:
Inuit Art from the Canadian Arctic, Bayly Art Museum, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 1994
$3,000 — 5,000
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153
DAVIE ATCHEALAK ᑎᕕ ᐊᓯᐊᓪ (1947-2006)
IQALUIT (FROBISHER BAY)
DANCING BEAR, CA. 1990
stone; signed in Roman 17 x 15.5 x 4.5 in — 43.2 x 39.4 x 11.4 cm
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Ontario
$3,000 — 5,000
LOT
154
IDRIS MOSS-DAVIES ᑲᓚ (B. 1974), QIKIQTARJUAQ (BROUGHTON ISLAND) / TORONTO
DANCING FIGURE, CA. 1990
stone, ivory; signed in syllabics
9.5 x 4 x 2.5 in — 24.1 x 10.2 x 6.4 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Ontario
$700 — 900
LOT
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VIEW LOT
155
UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST, INUKJUAK (PORT HARRISON)
HUNTER WITH SPEAR AND AVATAQ, CA. 1953
stone, ivory, wood, sinew, sealskin; unsigned
19.25 x 10.5 x 6 in — 48.9 x 26.7 x 15.2 cm
PROVENANCE:
Walker’s Auctioneers, Ottawa, ON, 12 Jun 2019, lot 26
Private Estate, Ontario
$8,000 — 12,000
Perhaps no single image is more closely associated with early Inuit art, or the mythology of its makers, than the hunter poised with a harpoon. Many of the important early sculptors thought of themselves as hunters first, and artists second. A hunter with a harpoon is the subject of pioneering artist Akeeaktashuk’s most iconic figures, as it is in Niviaxie’s early totemic image Man Hunting at Seal Hole in the Ice.
In the early and mid-1950s powerful camp leaders such as Abraham Nastapoka, Sarollie Weetaluktook, and Johnny Inukpuk were the first to take up sculpting in Inukjuak (Port Harrison), and it is from this early period that Hunter with Harpoon and Avataq dates.1 While the authorship of many early Inukjuak sculptures has been identified, the output of some artists has been consistently challenging to identify. Three of the region’s most lauded sculptors, Akeeaktashuk, Isa Smiler, and Johnny Inukpuk are known for a remarkable versatility of styles.
Hunter with Harpoon and Avataq has been sculpted on a grand scale, well in excess of twice the size of many large Inukjuak compositions, and notably nearly identical in size to the towering Hunter (Cat. No. EC 82-603) by Johnny Inukpuk from 1971 in the Collection of the TD Bank Financial Group.2
1 Darlene Coward Wight, Early Masters: Inuit Sculpture 1949-1955 (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2006), 22.
2 Wight, Early Masters, 84.
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VIEW LOT
PAUTA SAILA ᐸᐅᑕ ᓯᓚ RCA (1916-2009), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
REARING BEAR, CA. 1965 stone, ivory; unsigned
22.5 x 10 x 9.5 in — 57.2 x 25.4 x 24.1 cm
PROVENANCE:
The Snow Goose Gallery, Ottawa, ON, 1974 Private Collection, Charlottesville, VA
EXHIBITED:
Inuit Art from the Canadian Arctic, Bayly Art Museum, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 1994
$20,000 — 30,000
Though made when the artist was nearly 50, this 1965 sculpture marks an early iteration of Pauta’s signature bears. Brooding and raw, squarely planted on two legs, this bear stands in contrast with later Dancing Bears, which can be more winsome than fierce. Similarly, it is less studied than later examples, and shows the artist’s earliest thoughts about the subject. As is the case with many of Pauta’s bears, the sculpture is gracefully balanced and harmonious in composition, expressing its own unique personality and verve. Collectors of Pauta’s work will enjoy owning one of his rare early creations.
This bear is also notable for its large size and excellent provenance, documented and dated by The Snow Goose Gallery, Ottawa. The stone used by Pauta reinforces its age, indicative of the period in which it was made. As Inuit artists typically use materials that can be found locally, regions can be distinguished by their distinctive stone or stones, sometimes even down to a particular quarry or vein. Once a particular vein of stone has been exhausted, another must be found, meaning that certain shades and variations of stone truly encapsulate a time and place.
JOHN KAVIK ᔭᓐ ᑲᕕ (1897-1993), KANGIQLINIQ (RANKIN INLET)
TWO FIGURES WITH DOG, CA. 1970 stone; unsigned
17 x 9.9 x 6.5 in — 43.2 x 25.1 x 16.5 cm
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PROVENANCE:
Canadiana Galleries, Edmonton, AB, 1974
Private Collection, Charlottesville, VA
EXHIBITED:
Inuit Art from the Canadian Arctic, Bayly Art Museum, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 1994
$4,000 — 6,000 VIEW LOT
158
JOHN TIKTAK ᔭᓐ ᑎᑕ, RCA (1916-1981), KANGIQLINIQ (RANKIN INLET)
MAN WITH HANDS IN POCKETS, CA. 1970 stone; signed in syllabics
11 x 6 x 3.5 in — 27.9 x 15.2 x 8.9 cm
PROVENANCE:
Waddington’s Auctioneers, Toronto, ON, 15 Dec 1981, lot 483 Private Collection, Charlottesville, VA
EXHIBITED:
Inuit Art from the Canadian Arctic, Bayly Art Museum, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 1994
$10,000 — 15,000
This delightfully jaunty and expressive figure by John Tiktak is characterised by one of the artist’s most recognizable stylistic devices: the arms defined in loops of stone, separated from the torso by oval-shaped excavated areas. In the present work, the feature seems particularly suggestive of a man standing, slightly hunched with his hands in his pockets. The figure’s face appears joyous. The compressed eyes and whisper of a smile on the figure is almost evocative of the peaceful faces of Tiktak’s Arviat contemporary John Pangnark. Like so many of Tiktak’s reserved portraits, Man with Hands in His Pockets rewards close inspection and viewing in-the-round.
VIEW LOT
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VIEW LOT
159
JOHNNY INUKPUK ᔭᓂ ᐃᓄᐳ, RCA (1911-2007), INUKJUAK (PORT HARRISON)
CROUCHING MOTHER CRADLING CHILD, CA. 1955 stone, ivory, melted phonograph records; unsigned 5 x 9.5 x 4.5 in — 12.7 x 24.1 x 11.4 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Hamilton, ON Waddington’s Auctioneers, Toronto, ON, 19 Nov 2019, lot 52
Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$20,000 — 30,000
Said to be one of, if not the best known, of the early masters of Inuit sculpture, Johnny Inukpuk was born the son of a respected camp leader. Inukpuk was said to be a respected camp leader in his own right as early as 1958, along with Abraham Nastapoka and Sarollie Weetaluktuk, three of the earliest 20th century sculptors in Inukjuak (Port Harrison).
Inukpuk worked in a range of styles but is probably best known for his rendering of beautifully polished, soft rounded features. In the middle 1950s many of his works were inset with hard rubber from melted phonograph records, as well as ivory inlay, often embellished with finely incised designs.
Darlene Coward Wight, in her text Early Masters: Inuit Sculpture 1949-1955, notes that Inukpuk was particularly talented in locating excellent stone, which “is characterised by pronounced, translucent layers that glow in the light, and by gold patches that enhance this opalescent effect. Inukpuk made intelligent use of this colourful stone by reducing carved details and creating smooth, round forms that are polished to a shiny brilliance.” 2
Crouching Mother and Child, dated ca. 1955, pushes the artist’s use of soft contours and minimal forms to the limit, creating an artwork unmatched in Inukjuak sculpture of the era for its original use of reductive composition. The mother has taken her arms out of the sleeves of her amauti, and bundled inside it, echoes the form of her swaddled child held barely visible through the garment’s opening. Fine details are embellished with inlay and delicate incising. The original fine polishing of the surface is still evident.
1 Darlene Coward Wight, Early Masters: Inuit Sculpture 1949-1955 (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2006), 22.
2 Wight, Early Masters, 84.
POLAR BEAR, CA. 2000
stone; signed in Roman
17.5 x 22 x 9 in — 44.5 x 55.9 x 22.9 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$4,000 — 6,000
VIEW LOT
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VIEW LOT
OSUITOK IPEELEE ᐅᓱᐃᑐ ᐃᐱᓕ
RCA (1923-2005), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
REARING CARIBOU, CA. 1995 stone, antler; signed in syllabics
27.25 x 14.5 x 8.75 in — 69.2 x 36.8 x 22.2 cm
PROVENANCE:
Images Art Gallery, Toronto, ON Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$15,000 — 20,000
All of Osuitok’s caribou are feats of engineering, but none more so than the gracefully rearing iterations, of which this is one. They are extreme examples of balance and precision, their gravity-defying compositions perfectly able to express the elegance of the caribou. Though the base of this sculpture looks miniscule in proportion to the large body above, this is a particularly stable and finely carved example.
Through the 1950s and later, Osuitok was his community’s “keeper of the carving stone,” leading the expeditions to quarry materials in the summer months when the ground had thawed sufficiently. In guiding other artists when selecting stone, he came to understand the way the material fractures and breaks. That intimate knowledge of the stone assisted him in his ability to carve his caribou with finesse and equilibrium.
Of his process Osuitok explained:
“When I’m doing a caribou, I first make the outline of the animal starting with the muzzle, the nose, and then I work my way down to the body. Then I work on the leg areas. The standing caribou are more difficult than the kneeling ones. I work with files when I am doing the legs and ears. The ears are the last thing I do because they tend to break off. So I finish with those.
I don’t use the grinder to make the form because sometimes there are areas that you tend to cut into too deeply, something you’re not supposed to do. I prefer to use an axe and a saw. Also I use files that you use for steel (rasps) and then I switch to files for the finer work.
For balancing I make sure the base is smooth and flat so that the caribou doesn’t tip to the front or side.
I just make sure that the bottom of the hooves is perfectly level. I use a level like carpenters use in construction work. I make sure the base is a little bit thick before I start to get it level.” 1
1 Susan Gustavison, Northern Rock Contemporary Inuit Stone Sculpture (Kleinburg: McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1999), 64.
DAVID RUBEN PIQTOUKUN
(B. 1950), PAULATUK
STRIDING BEAR, CA. 1985
stone; no visible signature
8 x 20 x 4.75 in — 20.3 x 50.8 x 12.1 cm
PROVENANCE:
Images Art Gallery, Toronto, ON, 1988
Private Collection, Florida
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$3,000 — 5,000 VIEW LOT
QUVIANATULIAK (KOV) TAKPAUNGAI
(B. 1942), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
SEDNA, 1990 stone; unsigned
19 x 20 x 4 in — 48.3 x 50.8 x 10.2 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Yellowknife, NT
$3,000 — 5,000
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VIEW LOT
DAVID RUBEN PIQTOUKUN
(B. 1950), PAULATUK
SEVEN STONES, 1992 stone; signed in Roman; dated without rocks 16 x 13 x 8 in — 40.6 x 33 x 20.3 cm
PROVENANCE:
Images Art Gallery, Toronto, ON Private Collection, Toronto, ON
LITERATURE:
Harold Seidelman and James Turner, The Inuit Imagination: Arctic Myth and Sculpture (Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre Ltd., 1993), 169.
$3,000 — 5,000
The joy of hearing stories told by his mother and grandmother about shamanism and traditional beliefs influenced a young David Ruben Piqtoukun and has spawned images recurring throughout the artist’s career. Images of flight appear throughout the oeuvres of Piqtoukun and his brother Abraham Anghik, and are said to originate in the supposed otherworldly travels of their grandfather, a reputed shaman.1
Of the present work, Seven Stones, published in Harold Seidelman’s and James Turner’s The Inuit Imagination: Arctic Myth and Sculpture, it has been said “The shaman’s soul is leaving his body lying within a tent ring, Seven Stones representing the bondage to the human world. The stones have been used to hold down a tent. They may be used again to surround a final resting place.” 2
1 Darlene Coward Wight, Between Two Worlds: David Ruben Piqtoukun (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Gallery of Art, 1996), 3.
2 Harold Seidelman and James Turner, The Inuit Imagination: Arctic Myth and Sculpture (Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1993), 203, pl. 169.
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VIEW LOT
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BILL NASOGALUAK
ᐱᐃᓪ ᓇᓱᒐᓗᐊᒃ
(B. 1953), TUKTUYAAQTUUQ (TUKTOYAKTUK)
VOYAGE OF LOST SOULS, 2013 stone; signed in Roman; dated 11 x 21.5 x 6.25 in — 27.9 x 54.6 x 15.9 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Toronto, ON $4,000 — 6,000
The art of Bill Nasogaluak, an accomplished selftaught sculptor, painter and instructor originally from Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, has garnered notable curatorial and collector attention in recent years.
Nasogaluak has created a body of distinctive, socially conscious artworks, sometimes wry in humour and often unflinching in their directness. His imagery draws on Inuit shamanism and mythology, as well as both Inuit and Western art historical traditions to investigate a wide range of the artist’s experience. Artworks confront issues as diverse as climate change, self-harm, depression, and the impacts of industry in the North.
In a 2020 interview, Nasogaluak explained the impetus for a related artwork addressing alcoholism, relaying that his cousin suffered from alcohol addiction, ultimately taking his own life.1 Voyage of Lost Souls addresses the traumatic path of those who are victim to the illness, and addresses the potentially intergenerational nature of its repercussions.
1 Feheley Fine Arts. “Bill Nasogaluak: Shapeshifter.” YouTube video, 1:17. March 26, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Tj1kGWeN4zE
BILL NASOGALUAK ᐱᐃᓪ ᓇᓱᒐᓗᐊᒃ (B. 1953), TUKTUYAAQTUUQ (TUKTOYAKTUK)
SEAL IN OIL DRUM, 2009 stone; unsigned
9 x 5.25 x 4.25 in — 22.9 x 13.3 x 10.8 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$900 — 1,200
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ABRAHAM APAKARK ANGHIK ᐊᐃᐊᔭᑲ ᐊᐸᑲ ᐊᒋ, OC (B. 1951), PAULATUK
SEDNA AND ANGUTA CREATION MYTH, CA. 2000 stone; unsigned
18.75 x 22 x 7 in — 47.6 x 55.9 x 17.8 cm
PROVENANCE:
Images Art Gallery, Toronto, ON Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$4,000 — 6,000
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VIEW LOT
KAROO ASHEVAK ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974), TALOYOAK (SPENCE BAY)
SPIRIT, CA. 1971
whalebone, stone, ivory; signed in syllabics
7.5 x 6.5 x 6.25 in — 19.1 x 16.5 x 15.9 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, British Columbia
$7,000 — 9,000
With their ingenuity and unique vision, Karoo’s sculptures continue to intrigue generation after generation of collectors with their mix of imagination and humour.
Karoo’s preferred medium was whalebone due to the wonderfully abstract and curvilinear shapes of the bones in their unaltered state. These forms lent themselves to Karoo’s visions of the spirit world. Per Pamela Harris, “his approach to his work is unlike that of most Eskimo carvers, who believe that the form of the finished carving already exists within any piece of stone or bone and who consider that the carver’s work is to free that form from the material that has kept it confined. Ashevak always begins his carvings with an idea in mind and then choses material of appropriate sizes and shapes. It is with the grotesque and wonderful pieces of whalebone that his genius has exploded.” 1
Karoo had a wealth of material to work from, leftovers from generations of hunters dating as far back as 1000 C.E. The bones presented a complex range of textures from delicate to rock-hard for the artist to negotiate. Karoo was extraordinarily technically proficient, and was able to exploit the medium to suit his purposes. He worked the whalebone using simple tools: a carpenter’s saw, files, and a drill. Karoo especially loved working with a drill, and would use it to hollow out nostrils in many of his most signature creations, as evidenced in both Karoo sculptures in this auction, lot 136 and 168.
In lot 168, the influence of Western Arctic masks can be seen. Some historic secular masks displayed distorted and irregular features, either in parody or for amusement. Karoo’s sense of humour is often mentioned in scholarship about his works, and is in full evidence here. Jean Blodgett notes that any distortion of human or animal features were understood by Inuit viewers as representative of the spirit realm: “Although exaggerated features were used on the masks for their comic effect, distortion was also utilised for the depiction of the supernatural. Masks with greatly distorted features - to the point of abstraction - were usually of mythological beings such as dwarfs, giants or those non-human beings who lived together in certain places.” 2
This particular sculpture, a quintessential example of the artist’s oeuvre, is fresh to market. For the second Spirit sculpture by the artist in this auction, please see lot 136.
1 Pamela Harris, Karoo Ashevak Spirits (New York: American Indian Arts Center, 1973), unpaged.
2 Jean Blodgett, Karoo Ashevak: Winnipeg Art Gallery, March 30 to June 5, 1977 (Winnipeg: The Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1977), unpaged.
Item may be subject to CITES restrictions.
169
UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST, TALOYOAK (SPENCE BAY)
SPIRITS
whalebone, stone; signed in syllabics “ᑯᑐ”
14.25 x 10.5 x 7.5 in — 36.2 x 26.7 x 19.1 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$1,000 — 2,000
The work of an unidentified Taloyoak (Spence Bay) artist, the work is signed “ᑯᑐ” or Kuttuq which translates to Puddle accumulated from dripping snow 1
1 Inuit Uqausinginnik Taiguusiliuqtiit. “Kuttuq.” Uqausiit: The Inuktut Grammar Dictionary. https://uqausiit.ca/node/8649
Item may be subject to CITES restrictions.
VIEW LOT
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170
THOMAS SIVURAQ ᑕᒪᓯ ᓯᕗᒐ (B. 1941), QAMANI’TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
DANCING SPIRIT, CA. 1980 antler, ivory, fur, hide; unsigned
12 x 5 x 4.75 in — 30.5 x 12.7 x 12.1 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$300 — 500
Item may be subject to CITES restrictions.
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171
ADAM ALORUT ᐊᑕᒻ ᐊᓗᕈᑦ (1980-2020), IQALUIT (FROBISHER BAY)
SEDNA, CA. 2000 ivory, stone; signed in syllabics
3.25 x 9.25 x 3 in — 8.3 x 23.5 x 7.6 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, British Columbia
$300 — 500
Item may be subject to CITES restrictions.
172
UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST
MAN IN KAYAK WITH AVATAQ, CA. 1970
ivory, stone, sinew; unsigned
2.25 x 8.25 x 5 in — 5.7 x 21 x 12.7 cm
PROVENANCE:
Collection of former Northern Affairs Administrator Archibald Frederick Flucke By descent to the present Private Collection, Salmon Arm, BC
$200 — 300
Item may be subject to CITES restrictions.
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UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST
HUNTER IN KAYAK WITH AVATAQ AND RIFLE, 1970 stone, ivory, sinew, sealskin; unsigned
2.25 x 8.5 x 2.25 in — 5.7 x 21.6 x 5.7 cm
PROVENANCE:
Collection of former Northern Affairs Administrator Archibald Frederick Flucke
By descent to the present Private Collection, Salmon Arm, BC
$300 — 500
Item may be subject to CITES restrictions.
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SHEOKJUK OQUTAQ ᓱᐅᔪ
(1920-1982), KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
HUNTING SCENE, CA. 1949
ivory, stone, wood; unsigned with base 5.75 x 9.25 x 5.25 in — 14.6 x 23.5 x 13.3 cm
PROVENANCE:
Collection of former Northern Affairs Administrator Archibald Frederick Flucke By descent to the present Private Collection, Salmon Arm, BC
$2,000 — 3,000
An exceptionally talented artist and elder brother to the gifted Osuitok Ipeelee, Sheokjuk Oqutaq worked as a carpenter building houses and boats for many years until his death in 1982, notably constructing the very first building for the West Baffin Cooperative in Cape Dorset (Kinngait) in 1961. Throughout much of that time he made sculpture characterised by its refined and often delicate fine detail.1
This pair of early figures by the artist are available for the first time since they were collected by Northern Affairs Administrator Archibald Frederick Flucke during his time in the Arctic.
1 Darlene Coward Wight, Early Masters: Inuit Sculpture 1949-1955 (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2006), 154.
Item may be subject to CITES restrictions.
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175
BEAU DICK (1955-2017), KWAKWAKA’WAKW
POOK-MIS MASK (SPIRIT OF THE NEARLY DROWNED), 1989 shredded cedar bark, cedar, paint, feathers, twine; signed and dated; also inscribed “West Coast / Pook-Mis”
30.5 x 15 x 9 in — 77.5 x 38.1 x 22.9 cm
PROVENANCE:
Lattimer Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Sep 1989
Private Collection, Pittsburgh, PA
$10,000 — 15,000
Born in the community of Yalis (Alert Bay), British Columbia, Beau Dick, known as Walas Gwa’yam, which translates to Big Whale, is widely acknowledged for his importance as both an artist and activist. His artworks have contributed to the ceremonial life of his community, and have expanded the popular conception of Northwest Coast art and imagery among collectors and fellow artists.
Many of Dick’s creations take on a haunting or otherworldly aspect mediated by the artist’s integration of a colour palette and style incorporating imagery from Japanese and Western pop culture.
The present artwork is inscribed in the interior West Coast Pook-mis, and depicts the ghost-like Pookmis spirit, sometimes called Pukwu:bis by the Makah, Spirit of the Nearly Drowned, The Other Wild Man or The Destroyer. 1 Pookmis masks are part of an extended family of wild-man and wild-woman imagery that includes the cannibalistic Dzunukwa spirit, who is sometimes said to be the keeper of drowned souls, returning the souls of drowned whalers to their villages during their memorials.
Pook-mis includes a length of twine suspending a cedar whistle. Whistles are closely associated on the Northwest Coast with the voices of spirits, and among the Tlingit are sometimes even called ye’k se (spirit’s voice).2
1 Feest, Christian. "Transformations of a Mask: Confidential Intelligence from the Lifeway of Things." BaesslerArchiv, Neue Folge, Band XLVI. 1998. https://cajs.no/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Transformations_of_a_Mask_ Confidential_I.pdf
2 George Thorton Emmons and Frederica de Laguna, The Tlingit Indians (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1991), 454.
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CHARLES JOSEPH (BOONE) (B. 1959), KWAKWAKA’WAKW
CROOKED BEAK MASK, 2002
cedar, paint, operculum, shredded cedar bark; signed and dated with stand 30 x 21.5 x 8 in — 76.2 x 54.6 x 20.3 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Halifax, NS
$6,000 — 8,000
The Crooked-beak mask, or galukw’amhl was traditionally made as part of a suite of Hamat´sa masks, which as a group are among the most dramatic in the Kwakwaka’wakw sculptural tradition.
The galukw’amhl is danced by an initiate of the Hamat´sa society who personifies one of the lively associates of the cannibal spirit Baxwbakwalanukwsiwe’. The right to dance a galukw’amhl and other costumes of the Hamat´sa society are valuable inherited prerogatives, indicative of status and wealth.
The present mask is sculpted by Kwakwaka’wakw master carver Charles Joseph. Joseph’s work is found in public and private collections in Canada and abroad, and has been on display in the Montreal Museum of Fine Art, Montreal, QC, and Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg, MB.
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LUSTFUL LADY MASK, 1998
wood, paint, shredded cedar bark, hair, abalone; signed, titled and dated
33 x 10.75 x 7.25 in — 83.8 x 27.3 x 18.4 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Ontario
$1,000 — 2,000
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178
ANDREA M. WILBUR-SIGO, SQUAXIN ISLAND AND SKOKOMISH (COAST SALISH)
CORNER ORIENTED BENTWOOD BOX, 1998
cedar, paint; signed and dated; inscribed “Northern Box 8/98”
17/5 x 12.5 x 12.5 in — 444.5 x 31.8 x 31.8 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, Ontario
$5,000 — 7,000
Best known as a master carver in the Coast Salish tradition, Andrea Wilbur-Sigo is the first known woman carver in a family with a long tradition of the artform. Working early on in beadwork, Wilbur-Sigo was fascinated by sculptural forms, and has since been acclaimed for her work across a range of media and subject matter including bentwood boxes, welcome figures, house posts, masks, panels, button blankets, twine, twill weaving, and baskets weaving. Wilbur-Sigo notes, “It’s always said, ‘Women didn’t carve.’ That was normal and a lot of people believed it. But I come from a lot of stubborn women. You can’t tell me they didn’t pick up a knife and carve.” 1
Many of the artist’s most important works are in public collections and major works by the artist are uncommon on the secondary market. Wilbur-Sigo’s creations are on public display and held in collections at the University of Washington; Chief Seattle Clubs, an affordable housing development in Victoria, BC; Washington State Convention Center, City of Olympia, and Kraken Community complex in Northgate, WA, among others.2
The present box, made in a Northern Northwest Coast style is finely carved and painted in a corner orientation. Of traditional pegged construction, it is made without the use of adhesives. The lid and base are cut from red cedar, as are the four walls of the box, which are carved and steam-bent from a single 44-inch length of timber.
1 Brennan, Natasha. "From house posts to hockey sticks, Squaxin artist Andrea Wilbur-Sigo carves her way." The News Tribune. May 27, 2022. https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/state/washington/article255590371.html
2 Stusser, Danny and Julia Ornedo. "‘Unity’ gateway carvings unveiled on Eastside Street". The JOLT News. December 8, 2023. https://www.thejoltnews.com/stories/unity-gateway-carvings-unveiled-on-eastsidestreet,4533
ATTRIBUTED TO:
AUGUSTUS BEAN (KH’ALYAAN EESH KEITXUT’CH) (1852-1926); RUDOLPH WALTON (KAAWOOTK’, AAK’WAATSEEN) (1867-1951), TLINGIT
RECLINING THUNDERBIRD BOWL, CA. 1890
wood, stain; unsigned
4 x 11.5 x 5 in — 10.2 x 29.2 x 12.7 cm
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection, British Columbia
$3,000 — 4,000
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180
JOHN KAVIK ᔭᓐ ᑲᕕ (1897-1993), KANGIQLINIQ (RANKIN INLET)
STANDING WOMAN, CA. 1970
stone; signed in syllabics
10.25 x 5 x 2 in — 26 x 12.7 x 5.1 cm
PROVENANCE:
Waddington’s Auctioneers, Toronto, ON, 6 Dec 1995, lot 931
Private Collection, Toronto, ON
$2,000 — 3,000
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