I have a piece of Eskimo sculpture from 1961 which i want to sell.  It
has the original sticker on the bottom with the name of the artist,
the location, the subject, date and serial number.  i do not know the
material -- it is black -- quite heavy.  how do i go about getting it
appraised and selling it.

---

Request for Question Clarification by umiat-ga on 21 Jun 2003 15:08 PDT

Where do you live, and would you be willing to ship the sculpture to
have it appraised, if need be? Or is it to large? Would you mind
posting the name of the artist and location?

---

Clarification of Question by lovelyfemme-ga on 21 Jun 2003 15:56 PDT

I live outside of Washington DC.  The sculpture is heavy -- 8" long --
artist Issomajajuak  Location  Eskimo Point.  I would not be able to
ship it.

Hello lovelyfemme-,

Since you say the sculpture is of black stone, it is likely to be
basalt.  Basalt sculptures are more prized than some others: “Hard
carving stones such as serpentinite and basalt are much preferred by
collectors and significantly more valuable than the soft soapstone
found in Quebec or in imported alabaster. The softer the stone, the
easier it is to carve, and the more the artist (and community) tends
to mass produce. Therefore, a large bear from Arctic Quebec may be
worth less than a smaller, exquisitely carved polar bear from Iqaluit.
A mistake frequently made by novices is to buy/compare by size alone.”
http://www.eskimoart.com/faq.ihtml#faq1  (FAQ on Inuit sculpture at
EskimoArt)

If no researcher can supply you with an appropriate service in your
locality, you might be interested to know that Waddington’s
Auctioneers and Appraisals of Toronto offer a free appraisal from
photographs to intending sellers and have an expert on Inuit art among
their staff
“Free verbal appraisals are provided in our offices, or from
photographs, for sale purposes.”
http://www.waddingtonsauctions.com/services/f_services.htm 

Duncan McLean  (416) 504-9100 ext. 249, adm@waddingtons.ca 
Expertise:
- Paintings, Drawings & Prints
- Inuit Art
- Ethnographic Art and Artifacts 
http://www.waddingtonsauctions.com/expertise/f_expertise.htm#experts

Visit my Blog and web site to see the value of soapstone carvings and sculptures

http://soapstonecarvings.blogspot.com/

Jim's Soapstone Carvings and Sculptures
http://wwww3.sympatico.ca/ve3jji