Inuit Art Auction

November 17, 2014

LOT 59

Lot 59

MARK TUNGILIK (1913-1986)

MARK TUNGILIK (1913-1986)
Lot 59 Details
MARK TUNGILIK (1913-1986), E3-320, Repulse Bay

SEATED FIGURE WITH TABLEAU

stone, ivory
c. 1982, signed in syllabics
3.25" x 3" x 2" — 8.3 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm.

Estimate $1,500-$2,000

Realised: $1,680
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
MARK TUNGILIK (1913-1986)
  • MARK TUNGILIK (1913-1986)
  • MARK TUNGILIK (1913-1986)
Provenance:

The Upstairs Gallery, Winnipeg, MB, 1991,
Private Collection, ON

Note:

Literally, the work features five small ivory figures in a tableau, facing one another with drawn spears, while a seated figure gazes down. This work combines the mediums, stone and ivory, with which Tungilik primarily worked. Likewise, the piece contains the artist’s impossibly small but detailed figures. However, one may read the piece simply as a self-portrait of the artist admiring his own work. More profoundly, we may understand this piece as the Judeo-Christian God or a shaman observing a scene of humans in conflict. Though this small stone and ivory work will never reveal a fixed truth, it allows for a free play of interpretations.

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 59
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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.