Tips on Ways To Purchase and Look For Genuine Canadian Inuit Art (Eskimo Art) Sculptures

Many visitors to Canada will be exposed to Inuit art (Eskimo art) sculptures while touring the nation. Since Inuit art has actually been getting more and more worldwide exposure, individuals might be seeing this Canadian great art form at galleries and museums situated outside Canada too. Assuming that the intent is to obtain an genuine piece of Inuit art rather than a cheap traveler imitation, the concern develops on how does one tell apart the genuine thing from the phonies?

It would be pretty disappointing to bring home a piece just to discover later on that it isn't really 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 shop or directly from an Inuit carver would be authentic. One would need to be more mindful elsewhere in Canada, specifically in tourist areas where all sorts of other Canadian keepsakes such as tee shirts, hockey jerseys, postcards, key chains, maple syrup, and other Native Canadian arts are offered.

The best places to purchase Inuit sculptures to make sure authenticity are always the reputable galleries that focus on Canadian Inuit art and Eskimo art. A few of these galleries have ads in the city tour guide found in hotels.

Trustworthy Inuit art galleries are likewise listed in Inuit Art Quarterly magazine which is devoted totally to Inuit art. These galleries will generally be located in the downtown tourist areas of major cities. When one strolls into these galleries, one will see that there will be only Inuit art and perhaps Native art but none of the other typical tourist mementos such as postcards or t-shirts . These galleries will have just genuine Inuit art for sale as they do not deal with phonies or replicas . Simply to be even more secure, ensure that the piece you have an interest in includes a Canadian 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 genuine pieces are signed. Be aware that an unsigned piece may still be undoubtedly genuine.

Some of these Inuit art galleries also have sites so you might shop and purchase genuine Inuit art sculpture from home anywhere in the world. In addition to these browse around these guys street retail specialty galleries, there are now respectable online galleries that likewise focus on authentic Inuit art. Since of lower overheads, these online galleries are a excellent choice for purchasing Inuit art because the rates are usually lower than those at street retail galleries. Obviously, like other shopping on the internet, one should take care so when dealing with an online gallery, make certain that their pieces likewise come with the official Igloo tags to guarantee credibility.

Some tourist shops do carry authentic Inuit art as well as the other touristy keepsakes in order to cater to all types of tourists. Authentic Inuit sculpture is sculpted from stone and therefore ought to have some weight or mass to it. An genuine Inuit sculpture check is a one of a kind piece of art work and absolutely nothing else on the shop shelves will look precisely like it.

This can be a real gray area to those unfamiliar with authentic Inuit art. If a seller declares that such as piece is genuine, ask to see the main Igloo tag that comes with it which will have details on the artist, place where it was made and the year it was sculpted. The genuine pieces with the accompanying official Igloo tags will constantly be the greatest priced and are typically kept in Kurt Criter a separate ( maybe even locked) rack within the store.


Since Inuit art has been getting more and more global direct exposure, people may be seeing this Canadian fine art type 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 terrific art work, then it can be securely assumed that any Inuit art piece bought from a regional northern store or directly from an Inuit carver would be authentic. Respectable Inuit art galleries are also listed in Inuit Art Quarterly publication which is devoted completely to Inuit art. The Inuit sculpture may be signed by the carver either in English or Inuit syllabics but not all genuine pieces are signed. Some of these Inuit art galleries likewise have websites so you could shop and purchase authentic Inuit art sculpture from home anywhere in the world.