Tips on How to Purchase and Buy Genuine Canadian Inuit Art (Eskimo Art) Sculptures
Many visitors to Canada will be exposed to Inuit art (Eskimo art) sculptures while visiting the nation. Because Inuit art has been getting more and more worldwide exposure, people might be seeing this Canadian fine art type at museums and galleries situated outside Canada too. Assuming that the objective is to acquire an authentic piece of Inuit art rather than a cheap traveler replica, the question occurs on how does one tell apart the genuine thing from the phonies?
It would be pretty disappointing to bring home a piece only to discover later that it isn't really genuine or even made in Canada. If one is fortunate enough to be taking a trip in the Canadian Arctic where the Inuit live and make their fantastic artwork, then it can be safely presumed that any Inuit art piece purchased from a regional northern store or directly from an Inuit carver would be genuine. One would need to be more cautious elsewhere in Canada, especially in tourist locations where all sorts of other Canadian souvenirs such as tee shirts, hockey jerseys, postcards, key chains, maple syrup, and other Native Canadian arts are offered.
The best locations to shop for Inuit sculptures to make sure authenticity are always the trusted galleries that specialize in Canadian Inuit art and Eskimo art. Some of these galleries have advertisements in the city tourist guides found in hotels.
Reliable Inuit art galleries are likewise listed in Inuit Art Quarterly publication which adheres completely to Inuit art. These galleries will normally be found in the downtown tourist locations 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 typical traveler mementos such as tee shirts or postcards . These galleries will have only authentic Inuit art for sale as they do not deal with phonies or replicas . Simply to be even more secure, make certain that the piece you have an interest in features a Canadian federal government Igloo tag accrediting 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 blog here conscious that an anonymous piece may still be indeed genuine.
A few of these Inuit art galleries likewise have websites so you could go shopping and buy genuine Inuit art sculpture from home anywhere in the world. In addition to these street retail specialized galleries, there are now trustworthy online galleries that also focus on genuine Inuit art. These online galleries are a excellent alternative for buying Inuit art considering that the prices are typically lower than those at street retail galleries because of lower overheads. Of course, like other shopping on the internet, one need to take care so when handling an online gallery, make certain that their pieces also come with the official Igloo tags to ensure credibility.
Some tourist stores do carry authentic Inuit art as well as the other touristy Kurt Criter souvenirs in order to cater to all types of travelers. Authentic Inuit sculpture is carved from stone and for that reason needs 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 store racks will look exactly like it.
This can be a real gray area to those unfamiliar with genuine 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 information on the artist, area where it was made and the year it was sculpted. The genuine pieces with the accompanying official Igloo tags will always be the highest priced and are typically kept in a separate (perhaps even locked) shelf within the store.
Considering that Inuit art has actually been getting more and more global direct exposure, individuals might be seeing this Canadian fine art kind at galleries and museums 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 safely assumed that any Inuit art piece purchased from a regional northern store or straight from an Inuit carver would be authentic. Reputable Inuit art galleries are likewise listed in Inuit Art Quarterly magazine which is dedicated 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 sites so you could go shopping and purchase authentic Inuit art sculpture from house anywhere in the world.