Charlie Ugyuk, ᓴᓕ ᐅᔭ
LITTLE DEVIL
CHARLIE UGYUK (1931-1999), ᓴᓕ ᐅᔭ, SPENCE BAY / TALOYOAK
LITTLE DEVIL
stone, antler, horn, signed in syllabics, Mostly in good condition. There is a minor repair to the figures hair.
6 x 5 x 4 in — 15.2 x 12.7 x 10.2 cm
Provenance:
Private Collection, Alberta
Note:
Christian missionaries arriving in the Arctic, upon learning of the Inuit deities and spirits, were quick to place themselves in opposition to traditional culture and shamanism. As with many other cultures suppressed by European contact, a degree of grafting occurred, with the local mythology being subsumed by biblical rhetoric: all Inuit spirits thus became equated with the Christian devil.
Charlie Ugyuk’s “Little Devil” brings to mind that iconic European devil, right down to the pitchfork. The subject resembles nothing more than the ‘Little Devil’ character in Warren Kremer’s “Hot Stuff” comics. Ugyuk’s demons (such as the record-breaking “Demon Holding Young” auctioned at Waddington’s in 2013) are typically more intense and frightening than this impish sculpture, who appears more suprised than menacing.
Estimate: $2,000—4,000
LITTLE DEVIL
stone, antler, horn, signed in syllabics, Mostly in good condition. There is a minor repair to the figures hair.
6 x 5 x 4 in — 15.2 x 12.7 x 10.2 cm
Provenance:
Private Collection, Alberta
Note:
Christian missionaries arriving in the Arctic, upon learning of the Inuit deities and spirits, were quick to place themselves in opposition to traditional culture and shamanism. As with many other cultures suppressed by European contact, a degree of grafting occurred, with the local mythology being subsumed by biblical rhetoric: all Inuit spirits thus became equated with the Christian devil.
Charlie Ugyuk’s “Little Devil” brings to mind that iconic European devil, right down to the pitchfork. The subject resembles nothing more than the ‘Little Devil’ character in Warren Kremer’s “Hot Stuff” comics. Ugyuk’s demons (such as the record-breaking “Demon Holding Young” auctioned at Waddington’s in 2013) are typically more intense and frightening than this impish sculpture, who appears more suprised than menacing.
Estimate: $2,000—4,000
Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Lot # | Low Est | High Est | Sold Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-05-13 | Waddington's | 60 | 2,000 | 4,000 | 5,700.00 |
