
Ingmars Lindbergs
Director
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Sold for US$5,325 inc. premium
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Specialist, Head of Sale
Isuitok Ipeelee was one of the best-known Inuit sculptors of naturalistic wildlife carvings. According to James Houston's notes from his visit to the artist's home in 1951, the interior of Ipeelee's igloo was plastered with animal and bird illustrations cut from books, which served as reference for his work (Inuit Art, an Introduction, Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Publishers, New York, NY, 1998, p. 77).
The present transformational example is obviously a departure from Ipeelee's usual realistic oeuvre, and illustrates the artist's experimentation with themes that align with the wider Cape Dorset carving tradition: "Three Generations of [Cape Dorset] carvers have taken their inspiration largely from animal subjects... anthropomorphism is prevalent, with animals adopting heroic or humorous human-like poses. Supernatural themes are also popular, incorporating various animal and sometimes human forms fusing and transforming in endless combinations" (Ibid., p. 87).
Provenance
Purchased from Marion Scott Ltd., Vancouver, BC, Canada, 1984; the handwritten bill of sale and Canadian Certification tag accompany the lot