Tips on How to Buy and Buy Genuine Canadian Inuit Art (Eskimo Art) Sculptures
Many visitors to Canada will be exposed to Inuit art (Eskimo art) sculptures while exploring the nation. Considering that Inuit art has been getting more and more global exposure, people may be seeing this Canadian great art kind at museums and galleries located outside Canada too. Assuming that the intent is to obtain an genuine piece of Inuit art rather than a inexpensive tourist imitation, the question emerges on how does one tell apart the genuine thing from the phonies?
It would be quite frustrating to bring home a piece just to find out later that it isn't authentic or even made in Canada. If one is lucky enough to be traveling in the Canadian Arctic where the Inuit live and make their wonderful artwork, then it can be securely assumed that any Inuit art piece bought from a local northern store or straight from an Inuit carver would be authentic. One would have to be more mindful elsewhere in Canada, specifically in traveler locations where all sorts of other Canadian souvenirs such as t-shirts, hockey jerseys, postcards, key chains, maple syrup, and other Native Canadian arts are sold.
The most safe locations to look for Inuit sculptures to guarantee credibility are constantly the credible galleries that specialize in Canadian Inuit art and Eskimo art. Some of these galleries have advertisements in the city tour guide found in hotels.
Reputable Inuit art galleries are also listed in Inuit Art Quarterly magazine which is devoted entirely to Inuit art. These galleries will normally be located in the downtown tourist areas of significant cities. When one strolls into these galleries, one will see that there will be just Inuit art and perhaps Native art but none of the other usual traveler mementos such as tee shirts or postcards . These galleries will have only authentic Inuit art for sale as they do not deal with replicas or phonies . Simply to be even much safer, ensure that the piece you have an interest in includes a Canadian government Igloo tag licensing that it was handcrafted by a Canadian Inuit artist. The Inuit sculpture may be signed by the carver either in English or Inuit syllabics but not all genuine pieces are signed. Be mindful that an unsigned piece may still be undoubtedly genuine.
Some of these Inuit art galleries also have sites so you might go shopping and buy genuine Inuit art sculpture from house throughout the world. In addition to these street retail specialized galleries, there are now respectable online galleries that also specialize in authentic Inuit art. These online galleries are a great choice for buying Inuit art given that the costs are typically lower than those at street retail galleries because of lower overheads. Of course, like any other shopping on the internet, one should be careful so when dealing with an online gallery, ensure that their pieces likewise include the official Igloo tags to guarantee credibility.
Some tourist stores do bring genuine Inuit art as well as the other touristy keepsakes in order to cater to all types of travelers. Genuine Inuit sculpture is sculpted from stone and therefore ought to have some weight or mass to it. An genuine Inuit sculpture is a one of a kind piece of artwork and nothing else on the shop racks will look exactly like it.
Where it becomes more difficult to determine credibility are with the reproductions that are likewise made of stone. This can be a real gray area to those unfamiliar with genuine Inuit art. They do have mass and may even have some type of tag suggesting that it was handcrafted however if there are other pieces on the shelves that look too similar in detail, they are probably not genuine. If a seller declares that such as piece is genuine, ask to see the official Igloo tag that includes it which will know on the artist, location where it was made and the year it was carved. If directory the Igloo tag is not readily available, move on. The genuine pieces with the accompanying authorities Igloo tags will constantly be the greatest priced and are generally kept in a different (perhaps even locked) shelf within the shop.
Since Inuit art has actually been getting more and more international direct exposure, individuals may be seeing this Canadian fine art form at museums and galleries located outside Canada too. If one is lucky enough to be taking a trip in the Canadian Arctic where the Inuit live and make their wonderful artwork, then it can be safely assumed that any Inuit art piece acquired from a local northern store or straight from an Inuit carver would be genuine. Trusted Inuit art galleries are also noted in Inuit Art Quarterly publication which is dedicated entirely to Inuit art. The Inuit sculpture may be signed by the carver either in English or Inuit syllabics but not all authentic pieces are signed. Some of these Inuit art galleries also have websites so you could go shopping and buy genuine Inuit art sculpture from home anywhere in the world.