Looking Backward: Archaic Arctic Art and Artifacts

Auction begins to close:
July 14, 2022 at 3:00 pm ET

Online Auction
LOT 23

Lot 23

Quilliq With Tending Implement, Nettlilling Fjiord, Cumberland Sound, Baffin Island, Pre-1900

Quilliq With Tending Implement, Nettlilling Fjiord, Cumberland Sound, Baffin Island, Pre-1900
Lot 23 Details
Quilliq With Tending Implement, Nettlilling Fjiord, Cumberland Sound, Baffin Island, Pre-1900

crescent shaped stone lamp, and hooked stone implement with burnished finish terminating on one end with a rectangular knop
largest 3.75 x 18 x 8 in — 9.5 x 45.7 x 20.3 cm

Estimate $700-$900

Realised: $510
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
Quilliq With Tending Implement, Nettlilling Fjiord, Cumberland Sound, Baffin Island, Pre-1900
  • Quilliq With Tending Implement, Nettlilling Fjiord, Cumberland Sound, Baffin Island, Pre-1900
  • Quilliq With Tending Implement, Nettlilling Fjiord, Cumberland Sound, Baffin Island, Pre-1900
Provenance:

Private collection of Edward Charles and Judy Steeves, Ontario;
Thence by descent to the consignor

Note:

Finely carved, and with unusually sensitive proportions, this qulliq was given as a gift on February 1st 1969 to Edward Charles Steeves in Pangnirtung. The qulliq bears a label stating that it was found in October of 1968 “in an abandoned camp Nettilling Fjord, Cumberland Sound, Baffin Island.”

Edward Charles “Ted” Steeves was the co-owner of Karen Bulow Limited in Montreal and then Toronto from 1959 to 1985. In 1969, Karen Bulow Limited, was approached by the Federal Government to start a weaving program in Pangnirtung. [1] Although the program proved ultimately unsustainable, numerous textiles were produced through the program, and several important talent were discovered who went on to become important graphics artists in Pangnirtung.

(1) The Globe and Mail, Edward Steeves Obituary, march 13-19 2021. Click here
to read more


References:
Crandall, Richard C., Inuit Art A History, (Jefferson, North Carolina, and London: McFarland & Company), 189.


Related Works:
Paul and Mary Thiry, Eskimo Artifacts Designed for Use, (Seattle: Superior Publishing Company, 1977), 103.
British Museum, Museum no. Am1903,0615.14. Click here to read more
National Museum of the American Indian, catalog no. 26/3292. Click here to read more

CONDITION DETAILS

Wear and losses commensurate with age. Overall good condition.

Please contact the specialist for further condition information.

LOT 23
×

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.