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Artworks
MOSES PANIDJUK (1928-D) QINGAUT (BATHURST INLET)
Chess Set, c. 1977stone, the board: 16.25 x 16.25 x 1 in (41.3 x 41.3 x 2.5 cm) / the largest game piece (King): 2.75 x 1.25 x 1.25 in (7 x 3.2 x 3.2 cm) and smaller;
signed, “MOSES PANIGOOK”;
accompanied by "National Geographic", Vol. 152, No. 5, Nov. 1977LOT 51
ESTIMATE: $3,000 — $5,000Further images
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Throughout history, whalers and traders operating in the Canadian Arctic generated a demand for embellished items crafted by the Inuit, including cribbage boards, engraved walrus tusks, and chess sets. As...Throughout history, whalers and traders operating in the Canadian Arctic generated a demand for embellished items crafted by the Inuit, including cribbage boards, engraved walrus tusks, and chess sets. As interactions with Southern communities increased, the creation of these game pieces continued into the era of commercial art production during the 1950s. Although the figures are small, each one is crafted with remarkable precision, suggesting they were intended to be admired as well as used. The kings and queens depict Inuit characters dressed in traditional attire, while attenuated igloos act as rooks. Both sides feature a collection of Arctic animals: upright polar bears serve as bishops, snowy owls take the role of knights, and a phalanx of seals forms the pawns. To distinguish the two teams, each set is sculpted from different coloured stones.
MBL
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist, c. 1977 by the present Private Collection, Toronto.Publications
This work is reproduced in Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott, “Still Eskimo [sic], Still Free,” National Geographic, Vol. 152, No. 5, Nov. 1977, reproduced, p. 642-3, pp. 624-47. -
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