MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2023 AT 7:00 PM ET
We at First Arts are thrilled to announce our upcoming live sale of 174 masterpieces of Inuit, First Nations, and Métis Art, including 77 more masterworks from the John & Joyce Collection in Seattle. This extraordinary live sale is a two-catalogue event, taking place on Monday, December 4th at 7pm EST at 1 William Morgan Drive, Toronto.
It is with immense pride that we once again offer a special catalogue of works from the John & Joyce Price Collection. John and Joyce are not simply connoisseurs, they are visionaries and ambassadors for the art that they collect. They remain a ceaseless source of inspiration to us, both as collectors and as extraordinary individuals. With unflinching kindness and open-hearted generosity, they have contributed their time and stories not just to us, but to artists, fellow collectors, museum curators, and the Indigenous art community at large.
The Price Collection this time around includes an incredible range of historical, classic, and modern works. Gracing the cover of the Price Catalogue (Volume One) is the truly remarkable and rare Migration Boat with Owls and Dog by Joe Talirunili. The heartwarming story of its making along with the incredible charm of the sculpture itself are unique, and the work epitomizes the joie de vivre and quirkiness of Talirunili’s eccentric genius.
Lot 37
JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976) PUVIRNITUQ (POVUNGNITUK)
Migration Boat with Owls and Dog, c. 1966-67
ESTIMATE: $250,000 — $350,000
Other extraordinary highlights from the Price Collection are Kenojuak Ashevak’s red-tailed version of The Enchanted Owl, a brilliantly inked impression of the most famous Inuit print of all time; and Marion Tuu’luq's Prayer Meeting, the artist's final masterwork which elegantly bridges different cultures and spiritual beliefs.
Lot 11
KENOJUAK ASHEVAK C.C., R.C.A. (1927-2013) KINNGAIT (cAPE DORSET)
The Enchanted Owl, 1960 #24
ESTIMATE: $150,000 — $250,000
Lot 21
MARION TUU'LUQ (1910-2002) QAMANI'TUAQ (bAKER LAKE)
Prayer Meeting, 1989
ESTIMATE: $60,000 — $90,000
Other masterpieces include Christian White’s exquisite Raven Chief, and one of three stunning sculptures by Osuitok Ipeelee, Mother and Child, Scraping a Skin. This sampling of highlights is just the tip of the iceberg; look for brilliant works by John Kavik, Jessie Oonark, Preston Singletary, Ennutsiak, Annie Pootoogook, and other masters.
Lot 16
CHRISTIAN WHITE (1962- ) HAIDA, HAID GWAII (qUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS) / (oLD mASSET)
Raven Chief, 2003
ESTIMATE: $40,000 — $60,000
Lot 34
OSUITOK IPEELEE, R.C.A. (1923-2005) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Mother with Child, Scraping a Skin, c. 1980-82
ESTIMATE: $40,000 — $60,000
We are also incredibly proud to present a second catalogue (Volume Two) which presents almost one hundred stunning artworks gathered from prestigious collections from across the U.S. and Canada.
Important highlights include the evocative Luke Iksiktaaryuk Drum Dance Scene (one of several works from the Norman Zepp & Judith Varga Collection) which graces the catalogue cover. This sculpture truly exemplifies the pared-down style and powerful spirit of Iksiktaaryuk’s best work. Other highlights include Beau Dick’s masterful and compelling Hamat’sa Bear Headdress; a sensitively stenciled impression of Kenojuak Ashevak's first masterpiece Rabbit Eating Seaweed from 1959, originally from the collection of Maryon and Lester B. Pearson (Canada’s 14th Prime Minister); and a seminal untitled painting by Robert Davidson – his very first to incorporate a central, hard-edge square.
Lot 107
LUKE IKSIKTAARYUK (1909-1977) QAMANI'TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
Drum Dance Scene, c. 1972
ESTIMATE: $20,000 — $30,000
Lot 94
BEAU DICK (1955-2017) KWAKWAKA'WKAW
Hamat'sa Bear Headdress, c. 1998
ESTIMATE: $10,000 — $15,000
Lot 87
KENOJUAK ASHEVAK C.C., R.C.A. (1927-2013) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Rabbit Eating Seaweed, 1958 (1959 #8)
ESTIMATE: $40,000 — $60,000
Lot 93
ROBERT DAVIDSON (GUUD SANS GLANS), O.C., O.B.C. (1946- ) HAIDA, MASSET / WHITE ROCK
Untitled (Recollections orThe Marriage Announcement), November 1986
ESTIMATE: $30,000 — $50,000
These highlights barely scratch the surface of the collection. Further highlights of Volume Two include masterpieces by Norval Morrisseau, John Pangnark, Alex Janvier, Pauta Saila, Bob Boyer, Jessie Oonark, Kenojuak Ashevak, John Tiktak, Henry Evaluardjuk, and other brilliant talents.
It has been an incredibly busy and exciting few months. We are working hard to assemble our online catalogue, but in the meantime, we invite you to download and view – and enjoy! – our two PDF catalogues. Please let us know if you have any questions about the sale. We hope to see many of you at the preview exhibition.