Inuit art sells strongly at Toronto auction

Bidders were ready to plunk down thousands of dollars this past week when Waddington’s Auctioneers in Toronto offered up 483 works by 92 Inuit artists during its Nov. 8 auction, generating a $1 million in sales.

Some pieces brought in several times their estimate. A stone and ivory pencil-holder in the shape of a bear head made by a carver in Inukjuak sold for $28,880 — much higher than its estimated sale price of $400 to $600.

An American collector bought a whalebone shaman sculpture by the late Karoo Ashevak of Taloyoak for $28,880, nearly double the estimated sale price of $10,000 to $15,000.

Collectors from the United States usually can’t buy or import whalebone sculptures due to the rules on trade for endangered species.

But, unlike the rest of the auction items, which appeared on preview in Toronto before the auction, this piece remained didn’t leave the U.S. for the auction.

It was only shown in the Waddington’s auction catalogue and will now be shipped directly to its new owner from within the U.S., Waddington’s said.

Old works continued to sell strongly, and several pieces up for auction, like a ceremonial mask from Alaska, were more than 1,000 years old.

“The interest shown by collectors in these historical pieces links the old with the new and demonstrates their passion for the culture of the Inuit,” said a news release from Waddington’s.