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Best wishes for the holiday weekend!
Sheouak Petaulassie
(1923-1961)


Sheouak Petaulassie was one of the first women to make prints at the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative in Cape Dorset. Her prints appeared in two of the earliest Cape Dorset print collections -- 1960 and 1961 --but, tragically, she died prematurely in 1961.

Pot Spirits, pictured to the right, is a stencil from 1960 (this print is an unsigned, unnumbered artist's proof from an early Cape Dorset collection). It is a whimsical expression of the Inuit belief that all objects had an inua, or spirit. In this delightful print, ordinary pots and kettles have grown heads, arms and legs and are on their way to somewhere.

Although Sheouak made only ten prints before she died, the range of their styles and subjects is intriguing. Several ( Three Walrus and Reflections in my Mind) play with mirror images and distortions caused by looking through water. Dog and Seagull is highly abstracted, and appears to have been influenced by Kenojuak. She experimented with negative space (clearly influenced by Niviaqsiaq's Polar Bear and Cub in Ice) in White Whales Startled by Bear. We can only wonder whether she would have rivalled Kenojuak Ashevak in her creativity had she lived a normal lifespan.
Don't panic . . .
. . . if your favorite sculpture is knocked to the floor and broken.
This 19th century argillite carving of a woman by an unknown Haida artist was cruelly mistreated by its former owner. It was broken into two main pieces and suffered other damage. Small parts of the carving were missing. The remaining pieces had been crudely glued back together.

In the 19th century, Haida carvers made a number of carvings of ship captains, which are much sought after. Much rarer are carvings of ship captain's wives. This carving, of a Haida woman, is even rarer. I have been able to locate only one comparable example. That was why I considered buying it, notwithstanding its condition.

Before purchasing the carving, I consulted Irene Shekhtman Art Conservation as to whether the carving could be successfully restored. Fortunately, the breaks were relatively clean, the missing portions small, and it was clear exactly what was missing from the context. The right-hand picture shows the restored carving.

A few words of caution. If you are considering buying a damaged piece, ask for a detailed condition report and photographs showing the damage. Even so, be prepared for some surprises. Consult an experienced restorer who is familiar with the materials and the artistic style. Ask about the prognosis for restoration and what it will cost. Provide the restorer with as many photographs as you can of the undamaged piece (this is yet another reason for making a photo catalog of your collection). If you don't have "before" pictures of your piece, provide photos of comparable work by the same artist, if possible.

Finally, if the damaged piece is restored, most insurance companies will cover reasonable costs of restoration.
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About Alaska on Madison

In keeping with our self-description as a virtual gallery run by collectors for collectors, we are offering a limited number of pieces. Every piece is one that we would be happy to have in our personal collection, and the description of each piece explains why. 

We are happy to assist you with inquiries, with searches for particular pieces or artists, with organizing your collections and with buying or selling at auction. Our  Inuit artist search tool  is available on our website , and we would be delighted to help you use it. If you prefer to puzzle things out for yourself,  Deciphering Inuktitut Signatures  will help you to identify artists. 
 
We are always pleased to answer questions or just chat. You can contact us by email or by phone at  (908) 487-5757.

Our very best wishes to you all.

Ann and Michael Lesk
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Alaska on Madison | (908) 487-5757 | alaskaonmadison@gmail.com | www,alaskaonmadison.com