US$102.25 Unique Peace Pipe Soapstone Carving Inuit Art Kingwatsiuk in Vancouver, British Columbia for sale

Inuit Soapstone Pipe Kingwatsiuk Qinnuayuak Cape Dorset Here is a very unusual collector’s piece. Described on the Inuit art "igloo" card as a “right handed peace pipe” (actually it is the left hand), the carving is made of black soapstone, and is dated 1998. This lovely piece was created by Inuit artist “Kingwatsiuk Qinnuayuak” from Cape Dorset. Over the generations, there have been many fine Inuit artists with the family name Qinnuayuak (most in graphic/print arts) and many others with the name Kingwatsiuk, including the very famous Iyola Kingwatsiuk. Dimension s : 2.75" l x 1.25 w" x 1.25 " H (7 cm x 3.25 cm x 3.25 cm) The stem end hole of the pipe is about 1/4" and the hole extends properly through the pipe as it would for a functioning pipe. I am uncertain whether this is meant as a real functioning pipe or a decorative piece. Weight : 100 grs About Inuit Pipes Tobacco and smoking became a part of Inuit lifestyle after the European contact. Pictures from the 1930s and 1940s show it was common for Inuit women and men to smoke a short stemmed pipe (stem of wood or bone) or cigarettes. Alaskan Eskimos on the other hand smoked tobacco with very long stemmed pipes. However the Inuit culture traditionally has not used “peace pipes”. That term is actually a European term for a wide range of pipes (calumets) that were used primarily among 1st Nations in the United States. There were calumets for everything from war and peace to commerce and trade, to social and political decision-making. The older generations of Inuit described how it took significant effort simply to get tobacco in the Arctic. 1 well known Inuit art print illustrates the precarious sea voyage in 1943: three Inuk friends really, really wanted to smoke. On a whim they decided to travel by boat to get to the closest store for tobacco, but they became caught in a storm. In their efforts to travel by sea, reach land and the store for a smoke, they almost died. Today, smoking is very common among both Inuit and Alaskan Eskimos compared to people further south. "Right Handed Peace Pipe" The artist may have purposefully adapted this from the south. In some southern 1st Nations ceremonies where pipes and tobacco have more ritualistic or spiritual purposes, there are special ways the pipe should be held. The pipe starts in the pipe carrier’s left hand and held close to the person’s heart. It is later transferred to the right hand to be given to the next person, going in a clock wise fashion. Note: The pipe is being sold on its own. The display case can be purchased at an additional nominal cost.