This work is a stellar example of Andy Miki’s carving style from the mid 1960s, when he was still living in Whale Cove. The Whale Cove works are known for their degree of naturalism. Miki’s emphasis in those years was still largely on animal form and movement rather than radical abstraction; he gave us more tantalizingly realistic hints, even if we cannot consequently identify a species of animal precisely. This elegant and captivating Reclining Animal is probably either a caribou or seal. Miki’s background was inland Caribou Inuit, but he was living along the coast in Whale Cove, so either guess seems perfectly plausible. Lovely.

References: For a slightly different take on a reclining animal by the artist, First Arts, Toronto, 12 July 2020, Lot 115; Gerald McMaster ed., Inuit Modern, (Toronto: AGO, 2010), p. 135; see also Marion Scott Gallery, Inspiration (Vancouver: 1996) cat. 29. For stylistically related works see Norman Zepp, Pure Vision, (Norman Mackenzie Art Gallery, 1986), cat. 16; For other examples by the artist from his Whale Cove years see First Arts, 12 July 2020, Lot 60; 13 July 2021, Lot 60. Also see Walker's Auctions, Ottawa, 16 November 2016, Lot 50 (rough, with notches); 18 May 2017, Lot 255 (overall form).