Inuit Art
The Inuit from Canada and Alaska carved sculptures of Arctic animal life and hunting motifs, using stone, ivory, wood and bone, and made elaborate ceremonial masks.
They are famous for their Igloos, the ice houses, although they did not use them for permanent residence.
In art terms, most of the Inuit work is in sculpture with the abundance of walrus and whale ivory and driftwood permitting the development of carvings in great numbers.
Rarely is perfect symmetry employed; more frequently a preference for occult balance is expressed in carving.
Adjusting well to a relatively harsh region, they have used the available animal resources for skin and fur garments.
These were elaborately tailored and occasionally decorated. Distinctive curved knives were fashioned for everyday use.
The ceremonial life of the western groups is important not only for providing spiritual and psychological comfort, but also assures success in the hunt, while at the same time offering protection from the hazards which threaten their everyday life.
The use of a wide variety of masks, usually made from wood and ornamented with the feathers of birds and pastel paint, is widespread.
Such a mask is worn by dancers who impersonate many of the spirit beings who inhabit their world.
These dances are not as elaborate as those found farther to the south, but they exert a powerful effect upon the spectators.
There is usually a strong overtone of humour in Eskimo art and ritual; this is clearly evident in the designs upon their masks.
Their artistry is impressive in its ability to make much from very little, and the remarkable mechanical skills of these folk are evident in the carved ivory and wood toggles, links, harpoon heads, and other functional articles.
Usually these parts are fitted into a whole in a manner which creates masterful art compositions.
Designs, basically linear, include dot-and-circle motifs, abstract or realistic illustration engraved or painted upon a surface; the lines are filled in with carbon for contrast.
The carvings they produced were more lifelike compared to the natives from the south.
