JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976)
THE MIGRATION
c. 1970, bears paper label with signature in Roman and syllabics
15" x 14" x 6.5" — 38.1 x 35.6 x 16.5 cm.
November 05, 2012
Estimate $100,000-$150,000
Realised: $290,000
Still the highest amount ever paid for a work of Inuit art, The Migration by Joe Talirunili remains one of the most iconic works of Canadian art.
The ‘Joe Boat’ as it has become known, was a subject repeated in dozens of carvings by Talirunili. It recounts a traumatic event from the artist’s own childhood. He and the other survivors of a shipwreck are depicted on a crowded umiak – a hastily constructed skin boat – paddling through breaking ice floes in an attempt to reach safety.
Related Items
JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976)
JOE’S ESCAPE
c. 1970, signed in Roman
4.5" x 7.5" x 2.5" — 11.4 x 19.1 x 6.4 cm.
November 16, 2015
Estimate $20,000-$30,000
Realised: $163,500
JOE TALIRUNILI, POVUNGNITUK/PUVIRNITUQ
MIGRATION
signed in Roman and syllabics, c. 1970
5 ins x 5.5 ins x 1.5 ins; 12.7 cms x 14 cms x 3.8 cms
May 30, 2016
Estimate $15,000-$20,000
Realised: $55,200
JOE TALIRUNILI (1893-1976)
THE MIGRATION
c. 1975
11.5" x 10.5" x 3.5" — 29.2 x 26.7 x 8.9 cm.
June 02, 2014
Estimate $120,000-$140,000
Realised: $140,500
Inuit, First Nations & Métis Art
Waddington’s is internationally recognized as one of the leading authorities in marketing Inuit Art. No other auction house has been as intrinsically linked to the development of a market for this art form. From our first landmark auction in 1978 of the William Eccles Collection, Waddington’s has offered thousands of works, set record prices, and expanded the market well beyond Canada’s borders. Our legacy of successful Inuit Art auctions, our ability to achieve continually increasing values and our creation of an international market have been key factors in validating Inuit art as a whole and establishing it as an integral part of the Canadian Art scene.
Meet the Specialist
Duncan McLean
President, Senior Specialist