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CLOSED THURSDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2023 AT 2:00 PM ET
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Prices Realized for the lots below include Buyer's Premium.
Omitted lot numbers represent items that were withdrawn, passed, or unsold.
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Maternal Muses
Motherhood in Inuit ArtIn the pantheon of Inuit art, the motif of Mother and Child reigns with timeless allure. Carvings and graphics speak stories of Inuk mothers, arms embracing their children, babies cradled in the warmth of fur-lined amautiq hoods or nourishing themselves at their mother’s breasts. In Western art, the Mother and Child subject often brings to mind sacred icons of the Madonna and Christ Child of Christian lore. Yet the subject of maternity stretches far beyond these sacred images and is woven into the artistic tapestry of cultures from across the globe. In the Arctic, artists—many of them mothers themselves—bestow a secular but no less hallowed essence on this age-old theme, sculpting in stone, drawing, or printing on paper the tender hymns of maternity. Whether standing elegantly or quietly seated, their young cradled in the generous haven of their amautiq hoods or tenderly swaddled within the crescent embrace of their arms, the evocative Mothers and Children provide imagery that is ever-intriguing.
In Paul Toolooktook's monumental sculpture, Mother Holding Her Swaddled Child (Lot 21), an expansive scale belies a quiet intimacy. Here, mother and baby are eternally captured cheek-to-cheek, a tender vignette that transcends its scale to touch the heart. In the early 1960s, an Unidentified Artist, re-housed within the walls of the Hamilton Sanatorium, created the sculpture, Mother with Child in Her Amaut (Lot 15). This poignant piece may resonate with a yearning for distant loved ones — a woman carver's ache for the warmth of her own maternal embrace, or if crafted by a man, an elegy to the faraway presence of his wife and child. In Miriam Qiyuk's Mother Holding a Child (Lot 13) from the 1970s, both figures are shown frontally, echoing each other's pose. Here, one senses a mother radiant with pride, as if unveiling her newborn infant to the world in a frozen moment of joy.Within the realm of Inuit art, Mother and Child depictions are not merely idyllic visions of maternal love but reveal the indispensable role of women as a maternal anchor both in the family’s immediate circle and in their broader communities. Depictions often show women multitasking, with their offspring nestled in the sanctuary of their hoods while they simultaneously tend to their chores, as in Elizabeth Nutaraaluk’s Mother and Child with Fish (Lot 12), Joe Talirunili’s Mother and Child, with Water Pail and Scoop (Lot 3), and others.The sphere of motherhood for many artists often transcends the boundary of strictly human experience, as captured in Kenojuak Ashevak’s Riding on Mother Owl (Lot 27) and Qavavau Manumie’s Mother Polar Bear with Young Cubs (Lot 7). Such works not only reveal the artist's intimate understanding of local fauna's intricate design but also celebrate the theme of maternal significance throughout the natural world.When exploring the concept of motherhood through the lens of the Inuit goddess Sedna, traditional perspectives are both enriched and transcended. While Sedna serves a nurturing role as the guardian and life-sustainer of the Arctic marine world, her maternal essence is made literal in Sakiassie Ragee's Sea Goddess Feeding Young (Lot 30), where she is portrayed nursing her offspring.
"Tim Pitsiulak has become a chronicler of the everyday, and the overloaded four-wheeler in Family of Eight [Lot 28] is a ubiquitous sight on the streets of Cape Dorset" [1]. As omnipresent as the four-wheeler is to Kinngait (Cape Dorset), so is that of a Mother tending to her family. The times may change around them, but the basic principles remain the same; everyone is to be fed, cared for, and taken to hockey practice on time.
In the nuanced strokes and forms of Inuit art, the Mother and Child theme emerges as a profound exploration of maternal love and responsibility. Through sculptures, prints, and other mediums, the artworks offered in this exhibition highlight the complex roles of mothers within both the family and broader communities. To add one of these creations into your own collection is to keep the complex beauty of maternal roles and relationships close at hand.
1. Leslie Boyd Ryan, Cape Dorset Annual Print Collection 2008, p. 3. -
WORKS
The absence of condition does not imply that an item is free from defects, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others.
Many countries prohibit or restrict importation or exportation of property containing ivory, tortoiseshell, whale bone, sealskin, and/or products derived from other endangered or protected species, and require special licenses or permits in order to import or export such property. It is the responsibility of the buyer to ensure that the item is properly and lawfully exported / imported.
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Lot 8
SHUVINAI ASHOONA (1961-) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Mother and Child, April 2005
coloured pencil and ink on paper, 26 x 20 in (66 x 50.9 cm)
ESTIMATE: $5,000 — $8,000
PRICE REALIZED: $4,560.00
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Lot 13
MIRIAM NANURLUQ QIYUK (1933-2016) QAMANI'TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
Mother Holding a Child, 1970s
stone, 5.75 x 2.75 x 1.5 in (14.6 x 7 x 3.8 cm)
ESTIMATE: $1,500 — $2,500
PRICE REALIZED: $1,560.00
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Lot 15
UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST, EASTERN CANADIAN ARCTIC
Mother with Child in Her Amaut, early 1960s
stone, 8 x 3.75 x 4.25 in (20.3 x 9.5 x 10.8 cm)
ESTIMATE: $400 — $600
PRICE REALIZED: $384.00
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Lot 17
CHARLIE INUKPUK (1941-2022) INUKJUAK (PORT HARRISON)
Mother with Child in Her Amaut, 1982
stone, 10.25 x 7 x 5.5 in (26 x 17.8 x 14 cm)
ESTIMATE: $1,000 — $1,500
PRICE REALIZED: $600.00
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Lot 23
EVA TALOOKI ALIKTILUK (1927-1994) ARVIAT (ESKIMO POINT)Mother with her Two Children, c. 1990
stone, beads, and cotton thread, 4 x 2 x 2 in (10.2 x 5.1 x 5.1 cm)
ESTIMATE: $300 — $500
PRICE REALIZED: $264.00
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Lot 24
KIUGAK (KIAWAK) ASHOONA, O.C., R.C.A. (1933-2014) m., KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)Mother with Sleeping Child in her Amaut, late 1970s
stone, 16 x 6.5 x 5.5 in (40.6 x 16.5 x 14 cm)
ESTIMATE: $1,200 — $1,800
PRICE REALIZED: $1,080.00
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Lot 25
KANANGINAK POOTOOGOOK, R.C.A. (1935-2010) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)Proud Owl, 1988 #7
stonecut, 21.25 x 19.5 in (54 x 49.5 cm)
ESTIMATE: $600 — $900
PRICE REALIZED: $600.00
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Lot 26
KANANGINAK POOTOOGOOK, R.C.A. (1935-2010) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)Restless Cubs, 2008 #6
stonecut and stencil, 24.5 x 19.5 in (62.2 x 49.5 cm)
ESTIMATE: $700 — $1,000
PRICE REALIZED: $660.00
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Lot 27
KENOJUAK ASHEVAK, C.C., R.C.A. (1927-2013) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Riding on Mother Owl, 1996 #13
stonecut and stencil on natural, unbleached paper, 27 x 20 in (68.6 x 50.8 cm)
ESTIMATE: $1,500 — $2,500
PRICE REALIZED: $2,640.00
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Lot 28
TIM PITSIULAK (1967-2016) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)Family of Eight, 2008 #34
lithograph, 15.5 x 22 in (38.7 x 55.9 cm)
ESTIMATE: $600 — $900
PRICE REALIZED: $2,400.00
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Lot 30
SAKIASSIE RAGEE (1924-2003) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)Sea Goddess Feeding Young, 1961 #37
stonecut, 12 x 16 in (30.5 x 40.6 cm)
ESTIMATE: $2,000 — $3,000
PRICE REALIZED: $1,920.00
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Selections from the Collection of Ann Tompkins
For over 40 years, Ann Tompkins served as the Director of Indigenous Art at the Guild Shop in Toronto. During her tenure, she amassed a distinguished collection that showcased the works of Canada’s Indigenous peoples..
In honouring her legacy and commitment to giving back, a significant portion of the auction proceeds from this sale will be donated to the Inuit Art Foundation, with designated funds supporting The Kenojuak Ashevak Memorial Award. This gesture ensures that the voices of Inuit artists continue to be celebrated and supported, underscoring the importance of preserving and promoting their unique cultural narratives.
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Lot 101
PITSEOLAK NIVIAQSI, R.C.A. (1947-2015) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Arctic Hare, Grooming, late 1960s / early 1970s
stone, 4 x 4.5 x 3 in (10.2 x 11.4 x 7.6 cm)
ESTIMATE: $800 — $1,200
PRICE REALIZED: $3,360.00
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Lot 103
KELLY PISHUKTIE (1948-) IQALUIT (FROBISHER)
Woman with Top Knot, c. 1970s
stone, 6.5 x 5 x 3 in (16.5 x 12.7 x 7.6 cm)
ESTIMATE: $400 — $600
PRICE REALIZED: $144.00
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Lot 104
JAMASEE PITSEOLAK (1968-) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Bear at Floe Edge, 2006
stone, 0.75 x 1.75 x 1.25 in (1.9 x 4.4 x 3.2 cm)
ESTIMATE: $50 — $80
PRICE REALIZED: $120.00
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Lot 105
ALASHUA SHARKY (1973-) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Alighting Bird, c. 1999
stone, 3 x 4.25 x 2 in (7.6 x 10.8 x 5.1 cm)
ESTIMATE: $200 — $300
PRICE REALIZED: $840.00
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Lot 106
JOANASIE MANNING (1967-) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Defensive Hawk, late 1990s
stone, 3 x 5 x 5 in (7.6 x 12.7 x 12.7 cm)
ESTIMATE: $350 — $500
PRICE REALIZED: $72.00
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Lot 107
MARKUSI KAPPIK LAUJA, QIKIQTAALUK (NORTH BAFFIN)
Resting Snowy Owl, c. 1980s
stone, 2 x 5.25 x 2.25 in (5.1 x 13.3 x 5.7 cm)
ESTIMATE: $150 — $250
PRICE REALIZED: $108.00
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Lot 108
SAMISA PASSAURALU IVILLA (1924-1995) PUVIRNITUQ (POVUNGNITUK)
Mother Dog with Pups, 1981
stone, 2.25 x 3.75 x 2.25 in (5.7 x 9.5 x 5.7 cm)
ESTIMATE: $100 — $150
PRICE REALIZED: $132.00
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Lot 109
NOOSHOOTA PADLUQ (1942-) KIMMIRUT (LAKE HARBOUR)
Snowy Owl, 1980
stone, 4 x 7 x 3 in (10.2 x 17.8 x 7.6 cm)
ESTIMATE: $200 — $400
PRICE REALIZED: $288.00
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Lot 110
Attr.: PETER SEVOGA (1940-2007) Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake)
Figure Holding Head, early-mid 1980s
stone, 3.5 x 1.5 x 2 in (8.9 x 3.8 x 5.1 cm)
ESTIMATE: $250 — $350
PRICE REALIZED: $72.00
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Lot 111
OSUITOK MEAKU, KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Resting Arctic Hare, 2006
stone, 3 x 5.25 x 3 in (7.6 x 13.3 x 7.6 cm)
ESTIMATE: $200 — $300
PRICE REALIZED: $336.00
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Lot 112
ADA EYETOAQ (1934-) QAMANI'TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
Shoulder Ride, 1986
stone, 3.5 x 1.75 x 1 in (8.9 x 4.4 x 2.5 cm)
ESTIMATE: $200 — $400
PRICE REALIZED: $132.00
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Lot 114
TOWKIE MANIAPIK (1914-D) PANNIQTUUQ (PANGNIRTUNG)
Seated Polar Bear, c. 1979
walrus jawbone and graphite, 9.5 x 8.75 x 4 in (24.1 x 22.2 x 10.2 cm)
ESTIMATE: $200 — $400
PRICE REALIZED: $240.00
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Lot 115
KUPAPIK NINGEOCHEAK (1961-) SALLIQ (CORAL HARBOUR)
Man Carving a Seal, 1998
stone and antler, 12 x 12.5 x 12.25 in (30.5 x 31.8 x 31.1 cm)
ESTIMATE: $500 — $800
PRICE REALIZED: $156.00
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Lot 116
UNIDENTIFIED ARTISTS, Probably Kuujjuaq (FORT CHIMO)
Ookpiks and Eider Duck, mid 1960s
seal fur, sealskin, sinew, and synthetic material [rubber?], 7 x 7.5 x 3.25 in (17.8 x 19.1 x 8.3 cm) and smaller
ESTIMATE: $350 — $500
PRICE REALIZED: $60.00
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Lot 118
TWO UNIDENTIFIED INUIT ARTISTS, EASTERN CANADIAN ARCTIC
Dog and Polar Bear, 1970s / 1980s
each whalebone, 3 x 6 x 2.5 in (7.6 x 15.2 x 6.3 cm) and smaller
ESTIMATE: $200 — $300
PRICE REALIZED: $60.00
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Lot 119
NOAH ECHALOOK (1946-) INUKJUAK (PORT HARRISON); MARY QIGATU, QIKIQTAALUK (NORTH BAFFIN); and TWO UNIDENTIFIED INUIT ARTISTS, QIKIQTAALUK (NORTH BAFFIN)
Four Arctic Animals, 1970s
each stone, 2.5 x 3.5 x 2 in (6.3 x 8.9 x 5.1 cm) and smaller
ESTIMATE: $250 — $350
PRICE REALIZED: $60.00
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LOT 120
JOE EMIQUTALIAQ (1918-D) SANIKILUAQ (BELCHER ISLANDS); C HALUK, NUNAVIK (ARCTIC QUEBEC); AISA SALA, PROBABLY KUUJJUARAPIK (GREAT WHALE RIVER)
Three Arctic Animals, 1983
stone, 3.25 x 4.5 x 1.75 in (8.3 x 11.4 x 4.4 cm) and smaller
ESTIMATE: $80 — $120
PRICE REALIZED: $72.00
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Lot 121
JOE SALA, Probably KUUJJUARAPIK (GREAT WHALE RIVER); SOLOMON KARPIK (1947-) PANNIRTUQ (PANGNIRTUNG); UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST, QIKIQTAALUK (NORTH BAFFIN); IZIASIE KOPALIE (1948-) QIKIQTARJUAQ (BROUGHTON ISLAND)
Four Arctic Animals
each stone, 1 x 2.25 x 1 in (2.5 x 5.7 x 2.5 cm) and smaller
ESTIMATE: $200 — $400
PRICE REALIZED: $60.00
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Lot 122
MOSESIE (MOE) POOTOOGOOK (1977-) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Three Polar Bears, 2000s
eeach stone, 3 x 2.25 x 2.5 in (7.6 x 5.7 x 6.3 cm)
ESTIMATE: $200 — $250
PRICE REALIZED: $240.00
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Lot 124
ALASHUA SHARKY (1973-), MARY RAGEE, and NOAH NOWDLAK (1964-) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Three Arctic Animals, c. 1990s / 2000s
each stone, 2.25 x 4 x 1 in (5.7 x 10.2 x 2.5 cm) and smaller
ESTIMATE: $250 — $350
PRICE REALIZED: $60.00
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Lot 125A
BOB SOLOMON; IAN COAEGUL [?] and LARRY BEAUCAGE
Four Bears, 1990s
each stone, 1.5 x 3.5 x 1.5 in (3.8 x 8.9 x 3.8 cm)
ESTIMATE: $150 — $250
PRICE REALIZED: $72.00
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Lot 125
LUCY KUMARLUK, UMIUJAQ
Basket with Polar Bear Cub Knop, 2009
wove and coiled grass, stone, and sinew, 5.5 x 5 x 5 in (14 x 12.7 x 12.7 cm)
ESTIMATE: $150 — $250
PRICE REALIZED: $192.00
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Lot 126
YVONNE NANDE, DENE, ACHO DENE KOE FIRST NATION, FORT LAIRD, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES and TWO UNIDENTIFIED FIRST NATIONS ARTISTS, PROBABLY ANISHINAABE
Three Model Objects,
various mediums, 1.75 x 1.75 x 1.75 (4.4 x 4.4 x 4.4 cm) and smaller
ESTIMATE: $80 — $120
PRICE REALIZED: $24.00
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Lot 128
MALAYA AKULUKJUK (1915-1995) PANNIRTUQ (PANGNIRTUNG)
Waiting Hopefully and Fighting a Polar Bear, 1974 (1975 #21 & #23)
stencils, 17 x 24.5 in (43.2 x 62.2 cm) / 11.5 x 17.75 in (29.2 x 45.1 cm)
ESTIMATE: $100 — $200
PRICE REALIZED: $84.00
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Lot 129
PUDLO PUDLAT (1916-1992) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Seals Surfacing, 1985 #38
stonecut and stencil, 23 x 29 in (58.4 x 73.7 cm)
ESTIMATE: $500 — $800
PRICE REALIZED: $456.00
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Lot 130
ATUNGAUYAK EESEEMAILIE (1923-1989) PANNIQTUUQ (PANGNIRTUNG)
Faces of the Moon, 1979 #8
stencil, 11.5 x 21.5 in (29.2 x 54.6 cm), framed, sight.
ESTIMATE: $200 — $300
PRICE REALIZED: $336.00
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Lot 131
SETH PIJOGGE, NAIN, LABRADOR
Angakuk (Shaman), 2010
stone and antler, 2.75 x 4.75 x 1.5 in (7 x 12.1 x 3.8 cm)
ESTIMATE: $100 — $200
PRICE REALIZED: $72.00
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Lot 134
THOMASSIE KASUDLUAK, INUKJUAK (PORT HARRISON)
Father Preparing Young Child for Summer Trek, 1987
stone, seal fur, leather, and sinew, 6.75 x 5 x 2.25 in (17.1 x 12.7 x 5.7 cm)
ESTIMATE: $200 — $300
PRICE REALIZED: $192.00
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- Graphic works are unframed, unless otherwise indicated.
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![Lot 116 UNIDENTIFIED ARTISTS, Probably Kuujjuaq (FORT CHIMO) Ookpiks and Eider Duck, mid 1960s seal fur, sealskin, sinew, and synthetic material [rubber?], 7 x 7.5 x 3.25 in (17.8 x 19.1 x 8.3 cm) and smaller ESTIMATE: $350 — $500 PRICE REALIZED: $60.00](https://artlogic-res.cloudinary.com/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto/artlogicstorage/firstarts/images/view/2f201094fdad6db7cdc17d9db44cec70j/firstarts-unidentified-artists-probably-kuujjuaq-fort-chimo-ookpiks-and-eider-duck-mid-1960s.jpg)
![Lot 125A BOB SOLOMON; IAN COAEGUL [?] and LARRY BEAUCAGE Four Bears, 1990s each stone, 1.5 x 3.5 x 1.5 in (3.8 x 8.9 x 3.8 cm) ESTIMATE: $150 — $250 PRICE REALIZED: $72.00](https://artlogic-res.cloudinary.com/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto/artlogicstorage/firstarts/images/view/c52579d40b750e4aca11aacb0b8c0474j/firstarts-bob-solomon-ian-coaegul-and-larry-beaucage-four-bears-1990s.jpg)
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