Inuit Parka Made Of Seal Guts Among Treasures At Latest Sotheby’s Auction
Image via Sotheby’s
Worlds within Worlds is Sotheby’s newest auction, demonstrating the artifacts belonging to the collection of Peter and Leonora Petrou, a husband-and-wife duo of art and antiquities dealers based in London.
Sotheby’s describes the eclectic pieces as “encompassing a collection of the wonderful, the exotic, the provocative and the curious.” The collection has grown in notable size since Petrou’s career began around 40 years ago, and with the couple planning to downsize their home, the objects in turn need new homes.
Up on offer are decorative pieces, furniture, artworks, and other related antiquities. They come from almost every corner of the world: France, Japan, Burma, South America, and even the Romans.
It’s clear to see that each and every piece has a unique backstory, gleaned even from their titles. Some examples include a trumpet from the Japanese Edo period; a 19th-century Narwhal tusk walking cane; a zoomorphic Mate cup holder from South America, circa 1800.
Image via Sotheby’s
Image via Sotheby’s
One of the Petrous’ favorite pieces, The Art Newspaper reports, is a children’s parka jacket made by and for Inuits. It’s fully waterproof, according to the Petrous, since it’s made from seal guts stitched together with sinew thread. Despite being over a century old, it still looks to be in good condition, having been carefully kept in the collection.
Seals are a crucial part of Inuit culture. These parkas made from seal guts are usually worn during the mid-winter, as a celebration of the soul of the seals, and at the start of the spring, which is seal season.
It has a “reason for being,” according to Peter Petrou. “I think everything in the sale has a reason for its existence, they’re functional, very few things are just decorative.”
Image via Sotheby’s
Image via Sotheby’s
Bidding for the collection opens on September 10 at 3pm BST (7am PST), and the lots and their estimates are now available to view online.
[via The Art Newspaper, image via Sotheby’s]
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