Category → Photography
Inuit Soapstone Carvings
Inuit soapstone carvings (also often spelled as soap stone carvings) can be found in Inuit art galleries and some gift shops of Canadian souvenirs.
If you are looking for an authentic piece of artwork, it is a good idea to stay away from diversity gift shops that sell not only Inuit soapstone carvings but many other Canadian made items for tourists. There is a chance that the sculpture you buy there might not be original, not made by an Inuit artist.
When you shop for Inuit art, go to an Inuit art gallery or even better check out online Inuit art galleries. They specialize on Inuit art, most of them buy soap stone carvings directly from Canadian Inuit communities, they will never sell any cheap imitations.
Also, always look for so called “igloo tag”, it is certificate of authenticity. Keep in mind though, that if an Inuit soap stone carving doesn’t come with an igloo tag, it does not necessarily mean that it is not original. May be, an igloo tag for this particular carving never existed. At the same time, when a carving you see comes with an igloo tag, there is no 100 percent guarantee that it is an original piece of Inuit art. Always shop from a dedicated Inuit art gallery, whether online or offline.
When you get to know Inuit art a little bit more, acquire many carvings and become an experience collector of inuit art, you will start to to distinguish authentic Inuit art from cheap imitations. Luckily, there is not that many counterfeits, it is simply hard to reproduce. Each soap stone carving is unique and each Inuit artist has its own style of carving, which is not that easy to duplicate. Also, most Inuit carvings are signed by the artists.
Happy shopping for authentic Inuit soap stone carvings!