Cotton Grass Print Appraisal

Inuit Stonecut Print - 'Cotton Grass' by Victoria Mamnguqsualuk

This is a framed Inuit stonecut print featuring a botanical landscape of cotton grass, commonly found in the Canadian Arctic. The artwork exhibits the traditional aesthetic of the Baker Lake school of printmaking. Physically, the piece consists of an horizontal rectangular printed area on a larger sheet of paper, protected by glass and housed in a modern, slim metallic frame with a wide white mat. The color palette is vibrant yet simple, featuring a bright azure blue sky with wavy texture, a lush green field of grass, and delicate white cotton grass pods atop slender ochre stems. A brown soil patch occupies the lower right corner, showing stippled texture consistent with the stonecut process. Notable markings include a red circular 'syllabic chop' or printer's mark in the lower left, along with handwritten pencil notations across the bottom margin identifying the title, edition number, and artist. The style is mid-to-late 20th century, likely dating between 1970 and 1990. The condition appears stable, with Crisp colors and no obvious foxing, although there is a slight vertical reflection on the right side of the glass from the surrounding environment. The craftsmanship is high-quality, showcasing the rhythmic movement and flat perspective characteristic of Northern indigenous art.