The Canada Auction Series: Inuit Art

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June 01, 2023 at 7:00 pm ET

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LOT 103

Lot 103

Davidialuk Alasua Amittu ᑎᕕᑎᐊᓗ (1910-1976)

Davidialuk Alasua Amittu ᑎᕕᑎᐊᓗ (1910-1976)
Lot 103 Details
Davidialuk Alasua Amittu ᑎᕕᑎᐊᓗ (1910-1976), Puvirnituq (Povungnituk)

LEGEND OF THE EAGLE WHO TOOK THE SMALL GIRL TO BE HIS WIFE, CA. 1965

stone
signed in Roman; disc number inscribed; paper label affixed to underside inscribed "POV / David / 1054"
8.5 x 10.25 x 3.5 in — 21.6 x 26 x 8.9 cm

Estimate $4,000-$6,000

Realised: $4,612.50
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
Davidialuk Alasua Amittu ᑎᕕᑎᐊᓗ (1910-1976)
  • Davidialuk Alasua Amittu ᑎᕕᑎᐊᓗ (1910-1976)
  • Davidialuk Alasua Amittu ᑎᕕᑎᐊᓗ (1910-1976)
  • Davidialuk Alasua Amittu ᑎᕕᑎᐊᓗ (1910-1976)
  • Davidialuk Alasua Amittu ᑎᕕᑎᐊᓗ (1910-1976)
  • 3D Image
Provenance:

Private Collection, Maine

Note:

Davidialuk wrote down the legend depicted by this sculpture, reproduced below:

Legend of the eagle who took a small girl to be his wife.

“This is the story of three young girls who played at being wives. One made believe she was the wife of a killer whale, the second of an eagle and the third, of a stone.

The first girl was taken by a real whale to an island across the sea. He kept her there for many days as his wife. One day, while the whale slept, the girl spotted a boat in the distance. Excited, she cried aloud, "A boat! A boat!" She realised her mistake, however, when the whale wakened and asked: “What was that you saw?" She lied quickly, telling him that it was only a fox and a rabbit walking together and that he should go back to sleep. This time, she waited quietly until the boat drew near and she was able to signal to be picked up. Even though the whale wakened and gave chase, he was too late to recapture his wife. The girl believes that she was taken to be the wife of a whale because of the game she played with the bone of the whale and she has never played that game again.

The second girl was pretending to be the wife of an eagle, using a bone of the eagle. A real eagle took her away to a high cliff from which she could not escape. After several days, she conceived the idea of braiding a rope of sinew. The eagle was a good provider and she was never hungry nor short of sinew. It took her several days of braiding and the work was so strenuous that the flesh of her fingertips wore off, exposing the bone. The eagle had great pity for her, not suspecting the cause of her difficulty. Finally, the rope was long enough and her only problem now was that the eagle was never away long enough for her to climb down the cliff. To make sure he would be away longer than usual, she sent him to get her some caribou meat. She knew the caribou were far away. The eagle, who enjoyed pleasing his wife, left right away and the girl he had taken to be his wife climbed down the cliff and ran safely to her home. Like the first girl, she believed this had happened because she had been playing at being a wife with the bone of an eagle and she never played that game again.

The third girl was pretending to be the wife of a stone. Singing to herself, she climbed a mountain with a stone in her arms. As she climbed higher, her arms turned to stone but she kept on climbing and singing. She didn't stop singing even when her legs had turned to solid stone. Soon her whole body, even her head, turned into stone and she could no longer climb or sing. She stayed in the same spot forever. Playing the wife of a stone, she had turned into stone and there was nothing anyone could do to bring her back to life.”

References:
Davidialuk, Davidialuk, 1977, exh. catalogue, ed. Marybelle Myers (St-Laurent: Fédération des coopératives du nouveau-Québec, 1977), unpaginated

CONDITION DETAILS

Overall good condition. Some abrasions, possible small loss to talon. Break and repair through midsection, or quarrying seam with minor application of fill.

Please contact the specialist for further condition information.

LOT 103
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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.