Lot 11
PITSEOLAK ASHOONA, R.C.A., O.C., (1904-1983) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Printmaker: PEE MIKKIGA (1940-) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
The Shaman's Wife, 1980
stonecut, 28 x 20 in (71.1 x 50.8 cm)
16/50
ESTIMATE: $2,000 — $3,000
PRICE REALIZED: $2,160
In the recent Art Canada Institute publication, Pitseolak Ashoona: Life & Work, author Christine Lalonde writes,
In this gripping image Pitseolak strikes a balance between the familiar and the otherworldly. The figure of the shaman’s wife boldly faces the viewer and exudes a powerful sense of mystery, yet equal attention is given to the details of her traditional clothing and facial tattoos.
We believe that the title of this work may be misleading; that the woman herself is a shaman and not simply the wife of a shaman. She is depicted here with her bird spirit helper, which has been ensnared by the wily woman who mischievously grins and glances upward.