Exhibitions

In the Arctic…

In the Arctic…

December

Digital exhibition

Thematic exhibition “in the Arctic”
Ancient Eskimo Arts

 

 

Antique works of art from Alaska, born of archaic North American Eskimo cultures, are exceedingly rare. Archaic Eskimo art – whose oldest sculptures excavated from the frozen permafrost go back nearly 2,500 years – conceals poetry, mystery and a power of evocation that are unique.

Stylization of features, alliance of naturalism and symbolism, sculptural finesse, sobriety and a hieratic quality – these are the key features characterizing this several thousand years old aesthetic style, whose parallels with modern art are striking.

These sculptures and masks with their vibrant souls, veritable « gifts from the ancestors », to use the title of the 2009 Princeton exhibition, have managed to transcend time and space to inspire us in the present day.

It is this inexhaustible source of emotion and evocation that we wish to show through our exhibition “In the Arctic…” which we invite you to discover.

Parka

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Yup'ik child's parka (Inuit) Alaska Seal gut, sealskin, fur and red and natural fibers 19th century Height: 20 in. (51 cm) Width: 26 ¼ in. (67 cm) Collected at Gambell Village, St Lawrence Island. Ex collection The Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio, inventory number 80.0.24. Ex Cowan’s Auction Inc., Cincinnati, American Indian and Western Art, March 31, 2007, lot 42. Ex private collection, Canada.
Eskimo in Rain Suit Photograph by the Lomen Brothers Nome, Alaska Circa 1900 Vintage gelatin silver print Height: 12 cm (4 ¾ in.) / Width: 7 cm (2 ¾ in.)

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Inuit snow goggles Alaska Carved wood 19th century Length: 6 in. (15 cm) Ex collection Trotta Bono, New York Ex private European collection

Masks

Yup'ik shaman mask (Eskimo) Kuskokwim Valley, Southern Alaska Carved wood and pigments Second half of 19th century Height: 6 in. (15.5 cm) Provenance: Ex collection Charles Miles, Accession number in white ink: 5740 Ex collection Gary Spratt, California Ex collection Merton Simpson, New York Ex collection George Terasaki / Trotta-Bono, New York Ex collection Fred Boschan, USA Illustrated in: Indian and Eskimo Artifacts of North America, Miles Charles, Bonanza Books, New York, 1963, p.150, fig.# 6.28.
Yup’ik finger masks (Eskimo) Kuskokwim delta, Alaska Wood, caribou fur, pigments Early 20th century Height : 5 ¼ in. (13 cm) Collected by Rev. Augustus Martin in Kwigillingok, Alaska circa 1926-1935 Ex Jeffrey Myers, New York, acquired in 2005 Ex private collection, Europe

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Yup’ik shamanic mask (Eskimo) Sculpin inua (spirit) mask Lower Yukon, Alaska Carved wood 19th century Height: 20 in.(51 cm) Provenance: Ex collection Basha & Perry Lewis, New York, acquired in the 1990s Ex collection Jeffrey R. Myers, New York Ex collection Pinchas Mendelson, New York, since 2002
The Subarctic region inhabited by the Yup'ik is well supplied with land and sea resources allowing for much time that could be devoted to a full ceremonial life. After freeze-up in the winter, performance cycles were undertaken that were important to maintaining proper human, animal, and spirit-world interactions. Performed inside the qasgiq (communal men's house) during festivals, dances feature face and finger masks that make visible the world of helping spirits and extraordinary beings, and are specially made to tell particular stories. Often used by shamans to facilitate communication and movement between worlds (human and animal, the living and the dead), Yup'ik masks usually were discarded after use.

Reading tips

The living tradition of Yup’ik masks Ann Fienup-Riordan 1996

Archaic Eskimo - 2014

Human figures

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Punuk exceptional Torso Alaska Punuk culture (Archaic Eskimo) 9th-12th century Carved walrus tooth Height: 7 ¾ in. (19 cm) Excavated at Kialegak, St. Lawrence Island Presumably ex collection Adelaide De Menil & Ted Carpenter, New York Ex collection Jeffrey Myers, New York Ex John Giltsoff, Brussels, acquired from the above Ex European private collection Published: Winter Bruneaf 2014 catalog, Galerie Indigènes / John Giltsoff pp. 36-37 Exhibited: Parcours des Mondes 2014, John Giltsoff
Human figure Alaska Thule culture (Ancient Eskimo) Prior 19th century Carved walrus tooth Height: 3 ¼ in. (8.5 cm) Ex collection Donald Ellis Gallery

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According to Fitzhugh et Kaplan (Inua: Spirit World of the Bering Sea Eskimo, 1982 : 156), these carved figurines were carved for several purposes: to stand in for people absent from the village during festivals, to avert infertility, or else to focus the attention of animal inua (spirit) during the Doll Festival, which was held to bless hunting and fishing expeditions in the coming year.

Reading tips

Gifts from the Ancestors: Ancient Ivories of Bering Strait William W. Fitzhugh, Julia J. Hollowell, Aron Crowell Princeton University Art Museum 2009

Survival in the Arctic

Harpoon head Alaska Old Bering Sea Culture Circa 400 – 800 AD Marine ivory Length: 5 in. (13cm) Ex collection Paul Steinhacker, New York, collected on St Lawrence Island in 1978. Ex private collection, Canada.

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A Yup’ik seal hunter Nunivak, Alaska Edward S. Curtis “The North American Indian”, Volume XX (1930)
Harpoon stabilizer Alaska Old Bering Sea II culture (Archaic Eskimo) 100 – 300 A.D. Carved walrus tusk Length: 4 ½ in. (11.2 cm) Ex private collection, New York Ex private collection, Geneva

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Sea mammal figure – Fishing lure Alaska Thule culture (Ancient Eskimo) Circa 1500-1700 A.D. Carved walrus tooth Length: 5 ¾ in. (14.5 cm) Ex collection Anthony J.P. Meyer, Paris
Spear-thrower (atlatl) Alaska Yup'ik culture (Inuit) Carved wood, marine ivory Early 20th century or earlier Height: 13 ¼ in. (34 cm) Ex collection Finch & Co, London Exhibited & published: A la découverte de la culture Inuit, Cannes, Centre d’Art de la Malmaison, 2017

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Peary’s expedition North Pole

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Painted décor depicting Robert Peary’s expedition to the North Pole in 1908-1909 Dimensions: Approximately 22.5m long by 2.5m high Made by the Millard & Co. studio in New York, USA circa 1910s Ex collection Jeffrey R. Myers, New York Exhibited & published: A la découverte de la culture Inuit, Cannes, Centre d’Art de la Malmaison, 2017 Photos: Courtesy Centre d’Art de la Malmaiso

Amulets

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Polar bear figure Alaska Old Bering Sea Culture 100-500 AD Marine ivory Length: 3 in. (7.5 cm) Ex collection Guy Porré & Nathalie Chaboche
Seal effigy Alaska Yup’ik culture (Eskimo) Carved wood and metal Early 20th century Length: 8 in. (20.5 cm) Ex collection of the artist Robert Riggs (1896-1970), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ex collection Isa Barnett (1922-2001), Sante Fe, New Mexico By descent Ex collection Craig Finch, London

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Whale figure Alaska Thule Culture (ancient Eskimo) Prior to the 18th century Carved walrus tooth Height: 3 in. (7.4 cm) Ex collection Jeffrey Myers, New York
Inuit Kayak model Alaska Carved wood and hide Early 20th century Length: between 19 in. and 28 ½ in. (48.5 cm and 72.5 cm) Exhibited and published: A la découverte de la Culture Inuit, Cannes, Centre d’Art de la Malmaison, 2017, p. 37-41.

Kayak

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The Kayak of the Eskimo Keystone View Company, Alaska Photography: 1904, St. Louis World’s Fair Contemporary platinum print Height: 43 cm / Length: 44 cm
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