Iconic 19" Dancing Bear with Teeth by Joannie Ikkidluak

***Investment Piece

Fangs bared. Warrior stance. This bear is the nicest piece in our gallery bar none. Rarely do we see such iconic pieces like this Ikkidluak carving.

Joannie Ikkidluaq, who is the brother of Lucassie Ikkidluaq (famous for his muskoxen) rarely carves anymore. Stumbling upon this piece was a small miracle.

Seldom do you see small precise teeth like this in an Inuit carving. This bear’s personality is defined by his mouth. He is aggressive. He is commanding. He is frightening. This piece absolutely took my breath away when I first saw it. The stone has a gorgeous marbleized texture and a velvety smooth finish. The proportions and curves are beyond reproach.

This bear’s posture is as threatening as his fangs. His overall demeanour is iconic.

That means that this bear not only symbolizes a certain style of carving, it is THE quintessential carving of that particular style or era. This particular bear is an older piece and will be highly desired by auction houses and museums.

An iconic piece like this will triple in value in a very short time which is why I have labelled it an investment piece. I will go out on a limb and state that quality Inuit carvings almost never lose their value. Instead they increase in value year by year.

Joannie Ikkidluaq is notable for his impressive bears with teeth. He has won countless awards in art exhibitions around the world.

Joannie is a versatile carver, but his signature sculpture is his large bear with teeth, just like this one. This sculpture is very large and impressive. Every inch of this bear is carved with care and perfection.

Joannie Ikkidluak (born in 1945)

Exhibitions:

Lake Harbour Eskimo Sculpture, Pucker/Safrai Gallery, Boston, MA, USA;
Sculpture from Lake Harbour,Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec, Montreal, QC, Canada;
The Inuit Sea Goddess,Surrey Art Gallery, (organized to complement the Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal exhibit of the same name), Montreal, QC, Canada;
The Jacqui and Morris Shumiatcher Collection of Inuit Art,Norman Mackenzie Art Gallery, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada;
This Is My World, Presented by Jordan Fine Arts at the Windmill Gallery, Phoenix, AZ, USA;
Taste Of The Wild, Orca Aart, Chicago, IL, USA;
The Arctic Project: A Photographic Exchange, Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, BC, Canada