Lot 40
PAUTA SAILA, R.C.A., CAPE DORSET/KINNGAIT
Lot 40 Details
PAUTA SAILA, R.C.A., CAPE DORSET/KINNGAIT , E7-990, Cape Dorset
DANCING POLAR BEAR BALANCING ON ONE LEG WITH INSET TEETH
stone, ivory
signed in syllabics, c. 1990
20 ins x 11 ins x 5.5 ins; 50.8 cms x 27.9 cms x 14 cms
Estimate $40,000-$60,000
Additional Images
Note:
Pauta, now deceased, an imposing leader in his own right, made famous the large scale dancing polar bear. Each carving possesses its own individual charm and unique character. The artist’s portrayal of an open mouthed bear revealing inset incisors while balanced on one leg is widely admired and considered very desirable to collectors. The simplified lines and proportioned mass of the body of the upright bear is his signature subject and style, gaining him widespread popularity in the south. Pauta was made a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and his works are included in major private and public collections. An almost six foot stone carving by Pauta, made for the International Sculpture Symposium in Toronto in 1967, can be viewed at the entrance to The McMichael Canadian Art Collection.