ENNUTSIAK (1893-1967) IQALUIT (FROBISHER BAY), Hunter with Captured Bear , c. 1960-62

This lovely sculpture depicts a hunter carrying a polar bear casually on his back. One must immediately ask whether the artist is crediting the hunter with almost superhuman strength, for surely even the smallest of polar bears cannot be so jauntily transported. There are indeed numerous stories of Inuit hunters performing feats of strength, so Ennutsiak can easily be forgiven the exaggeration.

We should also consider whether this sculpture refers to Inuit legend or oral history; it would be a departure for an artist whose favourite subjects were scenes from traditional camp life, but Ennutsiak was originally from Nunavik where the tradition of Inuit folklore is strong (see Lot 122). There are several Inuit legends featuring giants, so we would not be surprised if this sculpture depicts one. Also, stories about the ancient Dorsets (called Tunit by the Inuit) refer to them as large people with great physical strength. This would certainly explain how small the bear looks in comparison to the hunter and would account for the bulkiness of the hunter. Ennutsiak figures are generally far more svelte, but here, Ennutsiak could have used mass to convey the colossal. Should our hypothesis be correct, this is possibly the only work of its kind by the artist.

References: For other works by the artist see Maria von Finckenstein ed., Celebrating Inuit Art 1948-1970, (Gatineau: Canadian Museum of Civilization, 1999) pp. 131-133. For other works of figures by the artist, see First Arts, Toronto, 14 June 2022, Lot 44, and First Arts, Toronto, 30 November 2021, Lot 22. For important works by the artist see First Arts Auction, May 2019, Lot 40; 14 June 2022, Lot 8. For a similarly themed work by the Clyde River artist Simeonie Qayaq see Walker’s Auctions, Ottawa, 3 May 2012, Lot 85.

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ENNUTSIAK (1893-1967) IQALUIT (FROBISHER BAY)

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