Inuit and First Nations Art

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November 30, 2023 at 7:00 pm ET

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LOT 130

Lot 130

Karoo Ashevak ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974)

Karoo Ashevak ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974)
Lot 130 Details
Karoo Ashevak ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974), Taloyoak (Spence Bay)

DRUM DANCE, CIRCA 1974

whalebone, antler
signed in syllabics; accompanied by: original invoice and receipt from Maynard’s Auctioneers; original gallery tombstones; a “Canada Eskimo Art” tag inscribed “Karoo Ashevak / Spence Bay / 225 / Spirit”
12 x 10 x 16 in — 30.5 x 25.4 x 40.6 cm

Estimate $30,000-$50,000

Realised: $34,350
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
Karoo Ashevak ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974)
  • Karoo Ashevak ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974)
  • Karoo Ashevak ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974)
  • Karoo Ashevak ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974)
  • Karoo Ashevak ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974)
  • Karoo Ashevak ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974)
  • Karoo Ashevak ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974)
  • Karoo Ashevak ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974)
  • Karoo Ashevak ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974)
  • Karoo Ashevak ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974)
  • Karoo Ashevak ᑲᕈ ᐊᓴᕙ (1940-1974)
Provenance:

Maynard's Auctioneers, Vancouver, BC, 31 July 1975, lot 529C;
Estate of Kenneth and Eunice Barron, Edmonton, AB

Exhibited:

McMullen Gallery, University of Alberta Hospitals, Thirty Years of Inuit Art, Edmonton, AB, 1991

Note:

While the number of artworks produced during Karoo Ashevak’s short career have been estimated at close to 250. It is arguable that he is the most recognized Inuit sculptor internationally.

Karoo’s work, exactingly carved and finished with intense care, brought him great joy. His sister, Eeteemunga, remembered “seeing him working on huge pieces. He was always so full of joy as he worked away on a new piece. He was also so proud of himself. He would pause and study a piece that he was working on...thinking or meditating. Sometimes he would put it aside...and glance at it from a distance... When he finished he would be pouring with sweat and looking joyful and exuberant!” (1)

Drum dances appear throughout Karoo’s oeuvre. In the Central and Western Arctic, the drum is often associated with the activity of the shaman and attendant spirits capable of both benign and malevolent transformation. In Drum Dance, the transformation of the figure, or figures, is profound, and extends even to the dancer’s drum beater, which appears contorted and elongated.

In Drum Dance, there is a notable density of imagery and refinement of surface. From early in Karoo’s career as an artist, others attempted to emulate his style. Seemingly in response, Karoo’s work became more refined, more daring in its dramatic use of the organic medium in which he found the perfect material companion to his flare for the remarkable. In Drum Dance, Karoo’s integration of a form inside the inherently irregular outline, pores, and fissures of his material is remarkably organic, a testament to an artist in full possession of his talents at the time of his early, unexpected death in 1974.

Drum Dance was acquired by collectors Kenneth and Eunice Barron in 1975, four years before Eunice became the founding President of the Inuit Art Enthusiasts (IAE). The sculpture formed a key work in the couple’s collection. Both one-time presidents of the IAE, Eunice curated several exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Alberta, The Royal Alberta Museum, and the McMullen Gallery. Drum Dance has been held in their private collection since their initial acquisition of the work in 1975.

1. Darlene Coward Wight, Art & Expression of the Netsilik, (Canada: The Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2000), 64

Related Works:
Karoo Ashevak and Jean Blodgett, Karoo Ashevak: Winnipeg Art Gallery, March 30 to June 5, 1977, (Winnipeg: The Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1977), pl. 38

Many countries prohibit or restrict importation or exportation of property containing ivory, whale bone, sealskin, and/or products derived from other endangered or protected species, and require special licenses or permits in order to import or export such property. It is the responsibility of the buyer to ensure that the item is properly and lawfully exported / imported. Please do not hesitate to contact one of our specialists for further details.

CONDITION DETAILS

Overall very good condition. Imperfections inherent in material.

Please contact the specialist for further condition information.

LOT 130
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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.