Tips on How to Purchase and Shop for Authentic Canadian Inuit Art (Eskimo Art) Sculptures



Numerous visitors to Canada will be exposed to Inuit art (Eskimo art) sculptures while visiting the nation. Given that Inuit art has actually been getting more and more international exposure, individuals might be seeing this Canadian great art form at galleries and museums located outside Canada too. Presuming that the intent is to get an genuine piece of Inuit art rather than a low-cost traveler replica, the question arises on how does one inform apart the real thing from the fakes?

It would be pretty disappointing to bring home a piece only to find out later on that it isn't genuine or perhaps made in Canada. If one is lucky enough to be traveling in the Canadian Arctic where the Inuit live and make their wonderful art work, then it can be safely presumed that any Inuit art piece purchased from a local northern shop or directly from an Inuit carver would be genuine. One would need to be more cautious elsewhere in Canada, especially in traveler locations where all sorts of other Canadian mementos such as t-shirts, hockey jerseys, postcards, essential chains, maple syrup, and other Native Canadian arts are sold.

The best locations to purchase Inuit sculptures to ensure authenticity are constantly the reputable galleries that concentrate on Canadian Inuit art and Eskimo art. Some of these galleries have advertisements in the city tourist guides discovered in hotels.

Credible Inuit art galleries are also noted in Inuit Art Quarterly publication which is devoted completely to Inuit art. These galleries will generally be located in the downtown tourist areas of significant cities. When one strolls into these galleries, one will see that there will be only Inuit art and maybe Native art but none of the other usual traveler mementos such as tee shirts or postcards . These galleries will have only genuine Inuit art for sale as they do not deal with imitations or fakes . Simply to be even more secure, make sure that the piece you are interested in comes with 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 however not all genuine pieces are signed. So know that an anonymous piece may still be indeed authentic.

A few of these Inuit art galleries also have sites so you might shop and purchase authentic Inuit art sculpture from house anywhere in the world. In addition to these street retail specialized galleries, there are now trustworthy online galleries that also specialize in authentic Inuit art. Because of lower overheads, these online galleries are a great alternative for buying Inuit art considering that the rates are typically lower than those at street retail galleries. Naturally, like other shopping on the internet, one must be careful so when dealing with an online gallery, ensure that their pieces also feature the main Igloo tags to ensure authenticity.

Some traveler stores do carry authentic Inuit art as well as the other touristy souvenirs in order to cater to all types of tourists. Genuine Inuit sculpture is sculpted from stone and for that reason should 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 exactly like it.

Where it becomes more difficult to identify authenticity are with the reproductions that are also made of stone. This can be a real gray area to those not familiar with genuine Inuit art. They do have mass and might even have some type of tag showing that it was handcrafted however if there are other pieces on the shelves that look too comparable in detail, they are probably not authentic. If a seller claims that such as piece is authentic, ask to see the main Igloo tag that features it which will know on the artist, place where it was made and the year it was carved. If the Igloo tag is not offered, proceed. The authentic pieces with the accompanying authorities Igloo tags will constantly be the highest priced and are typically kept in a separate ( maybe even locked) shelf within the store.


Given that Inuit art has actually been getting more and more worldwide direct exposure, people might be seeing this Canadian fine art kind 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 my latest blog post live and make their fantastic art work, then it can be safely presumed that any Inuit art piece acquired from a local northern shop or straight from an Inuit carver would be genuine. Reputable Inuit art galleries are likewise listed in Inuit Art Quarterly magazine which is dedicated totally 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 sites so you might go shopping and purchase genuine Inuit art sculpture from house anywhere in the world.

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