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Inuit Soapstone Carvings and Sculpture
are the only craft internationally recognized as Canadian. |
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Medium used to carve varies, however,
traditional carvings were made with ivory and bone. |
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A change to stone (1950's) has led to
greater variety in colour, forms and size. |
Soapstone
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A generic term used to describe the
materials used for carving. It is very soft and very scarce in the far north. |
Serpentinite
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Most common material. |
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Light to dark green and black in
colour (distinct colour is yellowish green), very hard stone, the purest of all the
mediums. |
Argilite
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Second most common medium. |
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Light green to almost black in colour. |
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Often has a distinctive striped grain. |
Other Mediums
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dilstone, dolomite, quartz, marble. |
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Stone is currently in short supply. |
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Artist must travel great distances
(over land, ice or water) to quarry quality stones. |
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Stone is shared throughout the
community without question or payment. |
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Preference of medium is dictated by
availability of materials. |
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No two pieces of Inuit sculpture is
ever alike. |
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Technqiues and styles are as varied as
the backgrounds of the artists. |
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The Igloo Tag is designed to protect
the consumer and the Inuit carvers and is a registered symbol of the |
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