Tips on How to Buy and Shop for Genuine Canadian Inuit Art (Eskimo Art) Sculptures
Many visitors to Canada will be exposed to Inuit art (Eskimo art) sculptures while touring the country. Given that Inuit art has been getting more and more global direct exposure, people may be seeing this Canadian fine art form at galleries and museums situated outside Canada too. Assuming that the objective is to acquire an genuine piece of Inuit art rather than a cheap traveler imitation, the question arises on how does one tell apart the real thing from the phonies?
It would be quite disappointing to bring home a piece just to learn later that it isn't authentic and even made in Canada. If one is fortunate enough to be traveling in the Canadian Arctic where the Inuit live and make their terrific art work, then it can be safely assumed that any Inuit art piece purchased from a regional northern shop or directly from an Inuit carver would be authentic. One would have to be more careful in other places in Canada, specifically in traveler locations where all sorts of other Canadian mementos such as tee shirts, hockey jerseys, postcards, key chains, maple syrup, and other Native Canadian arts are offered.
The safest places to buy Inuit sculptures to ensure credibility are always the trusted galleries that focus on Canadian Inuit art and Eskimo art. Some of these galleries have advertisements in the city tourist guides found in hotels.
Reputable Inuit art galleries are also noted in Inuit Art Quarterly publication which adheres entirely to Inuit art. These galleries will typically be found in the downtown traveler locations of major cities. When one strolls into these galleries, one will see that there will be just Inuit art and perhaps Native art however none of the other usual traveler keepsakes such as postcards or tee shirts . These galleries will have only authentic Inuit art for sale as they do not handle fakes or imitations . Just to be even more secure, ensure that the piece you have an interest in comes with a Canadian federal government Igloo tag certifying that it was handmade by a Canadian Inuit artist. The Inuit sculpture may be signed by the carver either in English or Inuit syllabics but not all authentic pieces are signed. Be mindful that an anonymous piece may still be undoubtedly authentic.
A few of these Inuit art galleries also have websites so you might shop and purchase genuine Inuit art sculpture from house throughout the world. In addition to these street retail specialty galleries, there are now credible online galleries that likewise focus on genuine Inuit art. Since of lower overheads, these online galleries are a excellent option for buying Inuit art since the prices are typically lower than those at street retail galleries. Obviously, like any other shopping on the internet, one need to be careful so when dealing with an online gallery, ensure that their pieces likewise Kurt Criter feature the official Igloo tags to ensure credibility.
Some traveler stores do carry authentic Inuit art as well as the other touristy keepsakes in order to cater to all types of tourists. Genuine Inuit sculpture is sculpted from stone and for that reason ought to have some weight or mass to it. An genuine Inuit sculpture is a one of a kind piece of art work and nothing else on the store shelves will look precisely like it.
This can be a genuine gray location to those unfamiliar with genuine Inuit art. If a seller declares that such as piece is genuine, ask to see the official Igloo tag that comes with it which will have details on the artist, location where it was made and the year it was carved. The authentic pieces with the accompanying official Igloo tags will always be the highest priced and are usually kept in a separate ( possibly even locked) rack within the store.
Given that Inuit art has actually been getting more and more global exposure, individuals may be seeing this Canadian great art form at museums and galleries situated outside Canada too. If one is fortunate enough to be taking a trip in the Canadian Arctic where the Inuit live and make their fantastic art work, then it can be securely presumed that any Inuit art piece bought from a local northern store or straight from an Inuit carver would be authentic. Reputable Inuit art galleries are also listed in Inuit Art Quarterly magazine which is dedicated completely to Inuit art. The Inuit sculpture might be signed by the carver important site either in English or Inuit syllabics but not all authentic pieces are signed. Some of these Inuit art galleries also have websites so you might shop and purchase https://kurtcriter.wordpress.com/ genuine Inuit art sculpture from house anywhere in the world.