czwartek, 27 czerwca 2013

Learn The Interesting History Of Eskimo Art

By Lawanda Burch


The artistic culture of the Eskimo people dates back around 4,000 year in parts of Canada. This form of traditional art consisted mainly of small objects like tools and weapons. It also features small miniature-size animals curved out of ivory, stones and huge bones. The elements of inspiration for Eskimo art reflected the lifestyle they embraced as fishermen and hunters, together with their vast mythology.

The "Arctic small-tool tradition" is one of the earliest around 2,000 years BC. The culture represents the earliest occupation of the arctic-North part of America by the Eskimos. Their tools had small cutting edges made from stone. The culture and tradition later branched off into 2 variants. These included the Pre-Dorset Culture on one side and smaller independent cultures and traditions.

In the west of Canada and Greenland, the pre-Dorset culture was thought to have existed around 2,500 BC, and later they became known as the Dorset Nation. People of this time created small tools as well. In the time of the Dorset Nation, artworks of different forms and of different materials became more prevalent, and included things like masks and sculptures, which were considered as figurative artworks.

The Dorset period dominated most parts of Northeastern Canada from 900 to 1,100 AD. Greenland hosted Vikings towards the south and spread into Iceland. According to many historians, the interactions between native Eskimos and Vikings were represented in Dorset masks that portrayed European facial features. These included longer noses and that some of the masks appeared to have head gears, which was a typical practice among the Vikings.

During the transition period from the Pre-Dorset to the Dorset period, new forms of civilizations were cropping up on the side of Canada. Around 500 BC, the Ipiutak art occurred in parts of Alaska. The Ipiutak kind of art used similar line art plus an array of semi-human faces, animal representations and human faces brought out in beastly forms. The pieces of art also incorporated joint and skeletal markings.

Out of all animals, wild and domesticated, to have dominated majority of sculpture type and motif art work among this type, the polar bear has been the most common form of inspiration. It has unified culture and given a sense of understanding towards historical culture.

The historic and modern eras have seen diversity among this form of art, inspired by nature, necessity and creativity. Introduction of textiles within the Inuit form of art around the 1940's saw life-size sculptures come into play and art among the Eskimo took a different root.

Curved masks were also a common form of art. Finely curved masks with details were used in the 19th century for different rituals. Modern art among the people dates from the 1940's, when development of art by native artists was encouraged by Canadians. Contemporary art among them comprises of curved figures made of smooth soapstone, rough whalebone and ivory.

The Eskimos are part of historic culture as well as present times, and their impact on society is of importance. Other smaller groups of people in the Arctic region are of equal importance, and the Canadian Government has taken them into consideration. Eskimo art is therefore something to be treasured and preserved.




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