First Arts: Inuit & First Nations Art

May 28, 2019

LOT 3

Lot 3

HENRY EVALUARDJUK (1923-2007)

HENRY EVALUARDJUK (1923-2007)
Lot 3 Details
HENRY EVALUARDJUK (1923-2007), E5-846, Frobisher Bay / Iqaluit

WALKING BEAR

stone
late 1950's
2.75 x 6 x 1.5 in — 7 x 15.2 x 3.8 cm

Estimate $800-$1,200

Realised: $3,120
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
HENRY EVALUARDJUK (1923-2007)
  • HENRY EVALUARDJUK (1923-2007)
  • HENRY EVALUARDJUK (1923-2007)
  • HENRY EVALUARDJUK (1923-2007)
  • HENRY EVALUARDJUK (1923-2007)
Provenance:

a Quebec private collection; purchased in Igloolik

Note:

Henry Evaluardjuk was born in the Igloolik area, but spent much of his young adult life travelling to the neighbouring communities of Pond Inlet and Arctic Bay. Likewise, after he moved to Pond Inlet in 1952 he continued to make lengthy trips to the other communities. Evaluardjuk had began carving in the late 1940s, selling works wherever he happened to be living. After a stay in a southern TB sanatorium he finally settled in Frobisher Bay (now Iqaluit).

Although unsigned and earlier than other published examples, this superb small sculpture has clear hallmarks of a “Henry bear”: specifically the overall stance, distinctive gait, the slightly turned-in paws, the low extended neck, and the ears.

References: for an early 1960s bear carved by Evaluardjuk at the Hamilton Sanatorium and signed with his disc number see Walker’s May 2017, Lot 2. For an important 1963 example carved in Iqaluit, that is perhaps the prototype of

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 3
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About Condition Ratings

  • 5 Stars: Excellent - No discernable damage, flaws or imperfections
  • 4 Stars: Very Good - Minor flaws or imperfections visible only under close inspection using specialised instruments or black light
  • 3 Stars: Good - Minor flaws visible upon inspection under standard lighting
  • 2 Stars: Fair - Exhibits flaws or damage that may draw the eye under standard lighting
  • 1 Star: Poor - Flaws or damage immediately apparent under standard lighting (examples: missing components, rips, broken glass, damaged surfaces, etc.)

Note: Condition ratings and condition details are the subjective opinions of our specialists and should be used as a guide only. Waddington’s uses due care when preparing condition details, however, our staff are not professional restorers or conservators. Condition details and reports are not warranties and each lot is sold “as is” in accordance with the buyer’s terms and conditions of sale. In all cases the prospective purchaser is responsible for inspecting the property themselves prior to placing a bid.