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Artworks
UNIDENTIFIED INUIT ARTIST, NUNAVIK (ARCTIC QUEBEC)
Seated Woman, with Child in Amautiq Tending a Qulliq (Kudlik), early-mid 1950sstone and antler, 4.5 x 5 x 7 in (11.4 x 12.7 x 17.8 cm)
signed indistinctly in syllabics.LOT 17
ESTIMATE: $4,000 — $6,000Further images
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The qulliq, or seal oil lamp, was both culturally and practically essential in early Inuit society and later became a prominent subject in Inuit sculpture from the mid-twentieth century onward....The qulliq, or seal oil lamp, was both culturally and practically essential in early Inuit society and later became a prominent subject in Inuit sculpture from the mid-twentieth century onward. Usually carved out of soapstone, the qulliq is shaped like a shallow half-moon vessel meant to burn seal or whale blubber, using arctic cotton or moss as a wick. In the woodless Arctic, it served as the central hearth, giving light through polar nights, warmth, a place to cook, a way to melt snow for water, and a means to dry clothes.
Women primarily tended the qulliq, making it a symbol of feminine strength, creativity, and the life-giving power at the heart of the igloo or tent. In early Inuit sculptures, especially those made in Inukjuak and Povungnituk, the qulliq often appeared as a recurring motif. This striking example of a seated mother carefully tending the qulliq’s flame evokes a sense of calm. Masterfully carved by an unknown hand, this sculpture honours women’s skills and captures for posterity the traditional knowledge of life on the land.
MBL
Provenance
Galerie Elca London, Montreal;
Acquired from the above by John & Joyce Price, Seattle
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