Greenlandic Soapstone Candle Holders

Wonderful pair of soapstone candlesticks, hand carved in Greenland, mid-20th Century. These have a deep, beautiful color, and feel soft in the hand. One of a kind!

1.5" x 1"H

Inuit carving as we know it today dates from the late 1940s and early 1950s, thanks to the enthusiasm of a young artist from Ontario, James Huston, and the Canadian Handicraft Guild’s “Eskimo Project.” The Project was designed to encourage the development of handicrafts as an additional source of income in Inuit communities. With the cooperation of The Hudson’s Bay Company and some financial support from the Canadian government, the Project encouraged the development of a number of art-related handicrafts in several Arctic communities. The small stone and ivory carvings initially produced proved to be extremely popular when offered for sale in Montreal in the early 1950s. Stone and bone were more frequently carved, as these materials were more readily available than walrus ivory. Through the 1950s and 1960s, Inuit carving became recognized internationally as a major and important art form.