Inuit Art Auction

June 01, 2015

LOT 133

Lot 133

PAUTA SAILA (1916-2009)

PAUTA SAILA (1916-2009)
Lot 133 Details
PAUTA SAILA (1916-2009), E7-990, Cape Dorset

GROWLING POLAR BEAR

stone, ivory
c. 1975, signed in syllabics and Roman
17.5" x 13.5" x 8.5" — 44.5 x 34.3 x 21.6 cm.

Estimate $35,000-$40,000

Realised: $43,200
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
PAUTA SAILA (1916-2009)
  • PAUTA SAILA (1916-2009)
  • PAUTA SAILA (1916-2009)
  • PAUTA SAILA (1916-2009)
  • PAUTA SAILA (1916-2009)
  • PAUTA SAILA (1916-2009)
  • PAUTA SAILA (1916-2009)
  • PAUTA SAILA (1916-2009)
  • PAUTA SAILA (1916-2009)
  • PAUTA SAILA (1916-2009)
  • PAUTA SAILA (1916-2009)
Provenance:

Images Art Gallery, Toronto, ON,
Private collection, Mississauga, ON

Note:

Perhaps what is most notable about this work is its sheer mass. Standing on two legs, and with its head turned completely to the right this bear is almost regal if not quietly powerful. Pauta discusses his art in the following interview:
“I like the idea of this exhibition on animal images and am interested in it. I carve all kinds of animals, particularly polar bears, in order to support my family. Qallunaat like my carvings.
I carve bears with longer and shorter necks, some that are fat or lean. They are in different positions because bears are always doing something. Sudden moves are possible with shorter necks. Polar bears are like human beings. If they are not distracted they can see better, even when they move fast.
I am sure that the older hunter Niviaqsi (a well known Cape Dorset artist who died while polar bear hunting) had a heart attack. When men are out hunting they get excited and their hearts beat faster when they see what they desire.
I like to carve what I feel, not merely what I see. It is the feeling that goes along with whatever one is doing. I also think about the material, the stone. I like to think how to carve it so that it does not break. I do what the Creator wants me to do, not merely by seeing but by feeling too.
Carving is very different from making a photograph. I think and feel that the bear has a spirit to be put into the carving. But each person has different thoughts when he is carving.
Today I am not worrying about making an amulet or a charm. I have to be pleased with what I am doing as does the person who is asking for the carving. I have to please myself and the buyer.
At times I feel like keeping some of my carvings. In fact I have even said good-bye to some.”

Bernadette Driscoll, Uumajut, Animal Imagery in Inuit Art, The Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1985, pg. 46

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 133
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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.