Inuit Art Auction

June 02, 2014

LOT 102

Lot 102

JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976)

JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976)
Lot 102 Details
JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976), E9-818, Povungnituk

THE MIGRATION

stone, wood, hide, thread
c. 1975
11.5" x 10.5" x 3.5" — 29.2 x 26.7 x 8.9 cm.

Estimate $120,000-$140,000

Realised: $140,500
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976)
  • JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976)
  • JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976)
  • JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976)
  • JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976)
  • JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976)
  • JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976)
  • JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976)
  • JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976)
  • JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976)
Provenance:

The Isaacs/Innuit Gallery, Toronto, 1975,
Private Collection, Toronto

Note:

This work is a depiction of a significant event that took place during the artist’s childhood. While traveling to new hunting grounds, several families were stranded on an ice floe that split from the mainland. They built an umiak out of scarce supplies and in haste as the ice floe was melting. Some people perished during this tumultuous migration. When the group finally spotted land, it appeared to be drifting away from them therefore one man with a rifle shot at the land to prevent it from moving any further. Some of Talirunili’s versions of the Migration have included a list of the names of the survivors. Although similar due to the subject matter, each boat is unique, the number of people aboard as well as their positioning varies and the occupants have been depicted as owls and hares in other versions of the Migration.

For other examples, see Waddington’s auction catalogues, November, 1999, lot 251; November 2001, lot 350; April 2006, lot 236; November 2012, lot 98.

Other versions of the Migration are part of the following major collections and coinciding exhibition publications:
The Jerry Twomey Collection at the Winnipeg Art Gallery: Inuit sculpture from the Canadian Arctic, Darlene Coward Wight, WAG, 2003, pg. 36
Grasp Tight The Old Ways: selections from the Klamer Family Collection of Inuit Art, Jean Blodgett, AGO, 1983, pg. 27 & 209
Inuit Modern, Gerald McMaster et. al, AGO, 2010, pg. 112

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 102
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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.