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Artworks
CHARLIE UGYUK (1931-1998) TALOYOAK (SPENCE BAY)
Polar Bear Shaman Drum Dancing, c. 1990whalebone, stone, and antler, 14.75 x 14.5 x 7.5 in (37.5 x 36.8 x 19.1 cm)
signed, "ᓴᓕ".
LOT 93
ESTIMATE: $5,000 — $8,000
PRICE REALIZED: $4,080.00Further images
When viewing sculptures depicting dancing bears, we sometimes wonder whether it was the artist's intention to merely depict a polar bear in a dynamic pose as a display of skill,...When viewing sculptures depicting dancing bears, we sometimes wonder whether it was the artist's intention to merely depict a polar bear in a dynamic pose as a display of skill, or whether there is a spiritual component at play. In this wonderful dancing bear transformation Charlie Ugyuk leaves no doubt that the subject is a shaman communing with his polar bear spirit helper by way of a drum dance séance. This sculpture is perhaps more subtle than Ugyuk's Wrestling Demons (Lot #44) but it is no less spectacular.
Provenance
A Toronto Estate.
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