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Artworks
UNIDENTIFIED INUIT ARTIST, EASTERN CANADIAN ARCTIC
Ashtray and Match Holder, late 1950sstone and ivory, 4 x 9.75 x 4.5 in (10.2 x 24.8 x 11.4 cm)
unsigned.LOT 77
ESTIMATE: $500 — $800Further images
By the early 20th century, as the Arctic fur economy waned, attention turned to the economic promise of an emerging arts and crafts industry in the North. Product development,always the...By the early 20th century, as the Arctic fur economy waned, attention turned to the economic promise of an emerging arts and crafts industry in the North. Product development,always the cornerstone of new ventures, took centre stage. Some artists worked independently, intuitively aligning their creativity with southern tastes; others were more directly influenced by early arts advisors who proposed ideas for marketable goods.
The 1950s and ’60s saw a wave of functional objects carved with Northern themes, such as bookends, match holders, and ashtrays, designed explicitly for southern consumers. And while their origins may lie in commercial intent, their craftsmanship transcends mere utility. Take the present ashtray: a finely carved form whose surface is adorned with delicate etched and carved motifs. It is both an object of function and a work of quiet elegance.
Provenance
Private Collection, Montreal.
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