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Major Fall Auction: Inuit Art

Auction begins to close:
November 20, 2025 at 6:00 pm ET

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LOT 78

Lot 78

Tudlik ᑐᓕ (1890-1966)

Tudlik ᑐᓕ (1890-1966)
Lot 78 Details
Tudlik ᑐᓕ (1890-1966), Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

OWL, CA. 1957

stone
unsigned
5 x 2.25 x 2.25 in — 12.7 x 5.7 x 5.7 cm

Estimate $3,000-$4,000

Realised: $11,875
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

More Details Below   ↓

Lot Report

Additional Images
Tudlik ᑐᓕ (1890-1966)
  • Tudlik ᑐᓕ (1890-1966)
  • Tudlik ᑐᓕ (1890-1966)
  • Tudlik ᑐᓕ (1890-1966)
  • Tudlik ᑐᓕ (1890-1966)
Provenance:

Barbara Kilvert, Public Relations Executive at Hudson's Bay House, Winnipeg, MB, ca. 1960s
By descent to the present Private Collection, British Columbia

Note:

In looking at one of Tudlik’s iconic owls, it is remarkable to consider that they were carved by an artist born in 1890. Strikingly modern, their truncated bodies are charged with sign-like directionality and clarity of form.

Tudlik’s eyesight was significantly diminished by the late 1950s. Scholars sometimes hint at this impediment as a source of the simplicity and tactility in his work.[1] Whatever the reason, Tudlik’s genius for refinement and his grasp of the essential in his subject matter is unquestionable.

[1] George Swinton, Sculpture of the Eskimo (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1987), 8.

Related Works:
James Houston, George Swinton and William E. Taylor Jr., Sculpture/Inuit (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1971), 196.

CONDITION DETAILS

Please contact the specialist for further condition information.

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LOT 78
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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.