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Narrative

Balshine family collection.

Cultural Context

contemporary art

History Of Use

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.

Description

Kneeling caribou (a) with detachable antlers (b-c) on a rectangular base. Head has holes for antlers in front of small ears, at back of head. Small round eye protrusions, slightly tapering face to flat snout. Slight hump on back, squared off at back with slight rise at tail. Bent legs are outlined on each side. Antlers are curved with two projections close to pegs which fit into the caribou. Peg on c has been repaired with a metal peg through centre. Sticker on bottom reads 'Carver 3-17-5 location George R. Que. Date 1965'. 'e8 562' and a series of characters are inscribed on the bottom.