Vintage Alaska Figurine Isaac & "String Game" Print, C. Alan Johnson, Pre-Owned

Description

This is an outstanding display featuring "Isaac", a C. Alan Johnson figurine of an Inuit adult male demonstrating the string game (Cat’s Cradle) to a number of captivated Inuit children in Alaska.  The accompanying signed and framed print entitled "String Game" is one of C. Alan Johnson's most treasured and hard to find prints featuring Isaac demonstrating the string game to a number of Inuit children.   Whether the figurine and print are displayed together or separately, they offer a universal representation of how the Inuit elders teach, entertain and interact with the young people in the community.   You will be proud to own both of these items from an outstanding artist.  Many of the children in the print have also been represented as ceramic figurines by this artist.  Theoretically, if a person could locate the five figurines of the children in the print, you could capture the entire scene in ceramic as well as in print.
"String Game" is a vintage fine art print of one of Johnson's original watercolor paintings which he made in the years following his family's visit to the Inuit village of Point Hope, Alaska, during the spring whaling season in 1961.  His paintings and his ever popular Alaska figurines portray some of the Inuit children and elders he met during that visit.  This print, featuring Isaac and a number of Inuit children, was HAND SIGNED BY THE ARTIST in pencil and dated 1984.  The print measures 11 inches by 13 inches and is printed on 100 per cent rag acid-free paper.  The image itself measures 8.75 by 10.75 inches.  It is in near mint condition and is displayed in a mauve colored matte and frame. Please note that using this matte will result in the artist's signature being covered up.  The buyer may want to consider replacing it with a different matte opening that would allow the print and signature to show in the frame.
The figurine "Isaac" is approximately 6 inches tall and over 5.5 inches wide and 6 inches deep.  He sits cross legged on the ground or floor with his hands displaying the String Game, commonly known as Cat’s Cradle.  Isaac wears a tan parka with red, white and black trim at the cuffs and around the bottom.
The parka has a dark brown fur ruff at the neckline.  He also wears dark brown pants and white and tan mukluks on his feet.
He is made of glazed ceramic.  The bottom of the figurine bears the printed name of the artist (C. Alan Johnson), copyright date of 1970, the name "Isaac", and a production code "Y30".  Based on the coding system used by Johnson, this would have been the 30th Isaac figurine produced in the year Y, which was 1984.  Please review all of the accompanying photos as they are considered part of the description.  The figurine and the print are in excellent pre-owned condition.  The pricing on this display reflects a premium based on: (1) the relative rarity of the “String Game" print; (2) the fact that the print was personally signed by the artist in 1984 (long before his death in 2013); and (3) the extreme popularity of the Isaac figurine and print among CAJ collectors.  Shipping by USPS Priority Mail with buyer to pay a flat shipping fee.  Thank you for your interest in these outstanding depictions of daily life in the Inuit community in the 1960s as captured by C. Alan Johnson in glazed ceramic and in print.