Davie Atchealak ᑎᕕ ᐊᓯᐊᓪ (1947-2006)
DRUM DANCER, 1990
signed in Roman and syllabics; dated
34.5 x 16 x 16 in — 87.6 x 40.6 x 40.6 cm
May 28, 2026
Estimate $7,000-$9,000
Realised: $21,250
About the Collectors
Drum Dancer is one of eighteen works in the present auction from a pioneering and important Toronto collection of Inuit art, the S. Family Collection.
Distinguished by its remarkable diversity and uniformly high quality, the collection was built on over fifty years of dedication. Acquisitions were made both from the leading dealers and private collectors of the period, as well as directly from artists during several excursions to the north, including to Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), and Arviat.
Although the S. Family organized a handful of exhibitions specializing in sculpture, many artworks from their personal collection have remained largely unknown to the collector community.
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Inuit, First Nations & Métis Art
Waddington’s is internationally recognized as one of the leading authorities in the sale of Inuit and First Nations art. No other auction house has been as intrinsically linked to the development of the market for art by Canada's Indigenous people. From our first landmark auction in 1978 of the William Eccles Collection to our development of the free online resource Katilvik in 2006, Waddington’s has offered thousands of works, set record prices, and helped to build a robust international market.
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Duncan McLean
President, Senior Specialist
Palmer Jarvis
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Elizabeth Gagnon
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