Our first sale of 2026 has a wide range of items, a number of which have a specifically Canadian focus. Hudson Bay blankets (lot 219) were first introduced by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1779, when the company commissioned its first iconic blanket. Famous for its stripes and “point system”, the wool blankets were used for warm bedding by fur traders in the chilly Canadian north, but also as currency with indigenous people. The term “point” originates with the French word “empointer”, which means “to make threaded stitches on white cloth”.Originally the one point blanket was worth one beaver pelt, but as the HBC moved out of the Pacific Northwest, and beaver pelts started to lose their value, the point blankets became the standard measurement for all items traded by the Company. The significance of the point system was as an indicator of the size of a blanket. At the time, one point was assigned to the smallest blanket and four points for the largest.. Present day HBC blankets have sizes of up to 8 points to accommodate modern sized mattresses.The blankets were just one part of the complicated legacy of the Hudson’s Bay Company, with many believing they were used to intentionally spread smallpox to decimate indigenous communities.
One of the prized products of the beaver trade were the elegant beaver fur top hats (lot 265) created for the aristocracy. Beginning in the 19th century and continuing through to the mid 1800’s, when the fickle rules of fashion dictated that silk hats were all the rage ( and therefore quite possibly saving the beaver from complete extinction), the beaver hat was the epitome of high fashion. Used beaver coats worn by indigenous people were a prized commodity for the production of fur hats, their wear helping to prepare the skins by separating out the coarser hairs from the pelts. The fur was then felted by repeated pummeling and boiling, and formed over a hat block where it was pressed and steamed into shape. Thanks to the practice of storing these hats in leather cases, many have survived centuries in relatively pristine condition.
Launched in 1942 and lasting for 21 years, the Sampson Matthews Limited silkscreen project (lots 163-165) was the largest public art program in Canadian history. Its initial goal was to create quality reproductions of Group of Seven artists for display at armed forces bases around the world, as a reminder to the troops of what they were fighting for. Many were sponsored by Canadian businesses in order to cover printing costs. Eventually there were 36 wartime prints by various Canadian artists.Masterfully produced, these silkscreens are, to this day, credited with enhancing public knowledge of Canadian art, and the national identity, from the 40’s through to the 1960’s.
Along with a number of Inuit soapstone carvings, we bring the world of collectibles to our doorstep with African carvings, Chinese and Japanese sculptures, as well as Russian lacquerware and brass and bronze sculptures from South Asia. Come and preview in person – and to all our loyal customers, a Very Happy New Year!
Please call John at 416-453-0920 to make an appointment if you would like to preview this auction.
