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Artworks
UNIDENTIFIED INUIT ARTIST, INUKJUAK (PORT HARRISON)
Guardians of the Nest, early 1950sstone, ivory, and inlay, 5 x 5.5 x 6.75 in (12.7 x 14 x 17.1 cm)
unsigned.LOT 85
ESTIMATE: $1,200 — $1,800Further images
Absent a signature or label, identifying an artist can be a daunting task. Although numerous books and exhibition catalogues document Inuit sculpture from the 1950s, scholarship has shifted over time,...Absent a signature or label, identifying an artist can be a daunting task. Although numerous books and exhibition catalogues document Inuit sculpture from the 1950s, scholarship has shifted over time, and many early attributions have proven either mistaken or overly hopeful. An initial study of Guardians of the Nest suggests a stylistic connection to the work of Aisa Qupirualu Alasua (see lot 83) from Puvirnituq, yet the stone base appears characteristic of Inukjuak. While the origin of the sculpture is uncertain, the quality is beyond dispute. The descending bird, its mate guarding the nest with inlaid eyes, and the delicately rendered eggs form an elegant whole, a work by the yet to be identified “Master of the Nesting Birds.”
MBL
Provenance
Ex. Coll. Colin John Grasset Molson (C.J.G ), Montreal.
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