The Constantine Collection of Northern Indigenous Art
R. Fraser Elliott Gallery
1 July 2011 - 11 March 2012
The Constantine Collection at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre contains rare carved and engraved historical indigenous objects, primarily from Alaska, the Yukon and Northwest Territories. The objects were first amassed by Henrietta Constantine at the turn of the century, while her husband Charles Constantine served with the North West Mounted Police, overseeing the Yukon Gold Rush among other duties. In 1929, after Henrietta had moved to Kingston a widow, Agnes Etherington acquired the collection for Queen's University. From pictorial tusks to miniature ivory figures, decorative containers to jewellery pieces, these are exquisite examples of artistic creativity and cultural continuity.
The contexts of their making and collecting are complex and fascinating. Representing Yu'pik and Iñupiaq peoples (among others), some objects had spiritual or utilitarian meanings specific to their makers' culture. Others were made for trade, adapting the forms of outside cultures to traditional materials, while retaining indigenous styles and iconographies. At the core of the Constantine Collection is a group of stunning engraved ivory tusks. Depicting sleds and kayaks, tall ships and paddle wheelers, warehouses and underground dwellings, these engravings reveal a culture in transition in the post-contact period of the late 19th century.
This exhibition highlights objects from the Constantine Collection, underlining the paths that they have taken, from their subarctic creation to their subsequent collection, acquiring multiple meanings as they move within and across cultures. A public reception for this exhibition will be held Friday 16 September, 5-7 pm.
Alicia Boutilier
Financial assistance for this exhibition is provided by the George Taylor Richardson Memorial Fund, Queen's University.
The Constantine Collection of Northern Indigenous Art
R. Fraser Elliott Gallery1 July 2011 - 11 March 2012
The Constantine Collection at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre contains rare carved and engraved historical indigenous objects, primarily from Alaska, the Yukon and Northwest Territories. The objects were first amassed by Henrietta Constantine at the turn of the century, while her husband Charles Constantine served with the North West Mounted Police, overseeing the Yukon Gold Rush among other duties. In 1929, after Henrietta had moved to Kingston a widow, Agnes Etherington acquired the collection for Queen's University. From pictorial tusks to miniature ivory figures, decorative containers to jewellery pieces, these are exquisite examples of artistic creativity and cultural continuity.
The contexts of their making and collecting are complex and fascinating. Representing Yu'pik and Iñupiaq peoples (among others), some objects had spiritual or utilitarian meanings specific to their makers' culture. Others were made for trade, adapting the forms of outside cultures to traditional materials, while retaining indigenous styles and iconographies. At the core of the Constantine Collection is a group of stunning engraved ivory tusks. Depicting sleds and kayaks, tall ships and paddle wheelers, warehouses and underground dwellings, these engravings reveal a culture in transition in the post-contact period of the late 19th century.
This exhibition highlights objects from the Constantine Collection, underlining the paths that they have taken, from their subarctic creation to their subsequent collection, acquiring multiple meanings as they move within and across cultures. A public reception for this exhibition will be held Friday 16 September, 5-7 pm.
Alicia Boutilier
Financial assistance for this exhibition is provided by the George Taylor Richardson Memorial Fund, Queen's University.
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