The Canada 150 Auction

June 27, 2017

LOT 635

Lot 635

M. EMILY CARR

M. EMILY CARR
Lot 635 Details
M. EMILY CARR

KLEE WYCK BOWL

painted ceramic
signed Klee Wyck and inscribed “M.E.Carr”
3.5 ins x 3.5 ins x 5.5 ins; 8.9 cms x 8.9 cms x 14 cms

Estimate $4,000-$6,000

Realised: $6,000
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
M. EMILY CARR
  • M. EMILY CARR
  • M. EMILY CARR
  • M. EMILY CARR
Provenance:

Private Collection, Toronto

Note:

Gerta Moray writes that “the comforts of material affluence” were never to be something that Emily Carr would experience. Lack of money was a chronic condition for the artist. Moray notes that from 1924: “In her search for ways to eke out a living, Carr turned to craft production, taking up rug making and pottery as media through which her interest in native imagery could find a market.” Carr signed her pottery “Klee Wyck” which meant Laughing One, a nickname bestowed upon her by the First Nations people of Ucluelet.

Carr writes about her experiences extensively in her autobiography Growing Pains. She foraged for the clay, loaded it into a pram and trundled home with it. There she built up her objects by hand and lost many to shrinkage during the firings. She describes every moment of the firing as “agony, suspense and sweat.” Carr recalled “The small kiln room grew stifling. My bones shook, anticipating a visit from police, fire chief, or insurance man. The roof caught fire. The floor caught fire. I kept the hose attached to the garden tap and the roof of the kiln shed soaked.”

While she aimed to produce these pottery pieces in quantity as the venture was a commercial one, given how difficult it was for her to make them and how few survived the firings, it is not surprising that so few of these objects remain available to present day collectors.

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 635
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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.