Carving

Contemporary Inuit sculpture produced for the art market began in the 1950's in response to a very successful sale, by the Canadian Handicraft Guild in Montreal in 1949, of pieces collected by James A. Houston on the east coast of Hudson Bay. The Inuit co-operatives developed by 1959 and a central marketing agency was established in 1965. Carving continues to be a major source of income in the Eastern Canadian Arctic, an area which has undergone major social and economic changes, especially since World War II. There has been a steady growth in permanent settlements during the last half of this century which has made large scale carving in stone feasible. Traditionally, carving materials were mainly bone, antler, and ivory, because of their light weight, strength, and durability. Heavier and more fragile stone was used primarily for lamps and cooking vessels. Although Inuit sculpture is often referred to as 'soapstone' sculpture, in fact, less than half of the stone used is soapstone (a high-grade talc or steatite). Other stones commonly used include serpentine, olivine, periodite, chrysolite, and others. In the early years of the industry it was possible to identify where a carving came from by the specific type of stone used, however, in recent years stone is traded on a wider, regional basis. Whale bone, antler, walrus tusk ivory, and a variety of other materials are also used by Inuit carvers. Themes in Inuit sculpture are based on personal experiences and beliefs, derive from oral traditions, mythology, as well as from narrative and figurative themes depicting arctic fauna and scenes of traditional Inuit life. Regional, community, and individual styles are also apparent.

Balshine family collection.

contemporary art

Stylized whale-like creature (part a) is pegged above a leaf-shaped platform with a a face looking up at one end (part b). Whale-like figure has a diamond-shaped face with two round eyes and a slit mouth. There are asymmetrical pectoral fins after a slightly constricted neck. There is a large dorsal fin on top and the body tapers to a nearly straight tail at the back. A hole on the bottom fits into the centre of the base. Face on base is oval with a hood-like section at top, indentations below slit eyes, broad nose, slightly upturned mouth slit and pointed chin. Sticker on bottom reads 'George Kamokak F460 Gjoa Haven 140' and '#40143', characters and a copyright mark are inscribed on bottom.