Carving of nine walruses on an ice floe Item Number: 44.34.9 from the Brooklyn Museum
Description
This rattle or paddle has eight carved walrus along it attached with ivory pegs to the wand so one is missing. This style of ivory tusk carving was done in response to the trade market where carvers quickly invented the form of carving tusks. The concept of small animals attached along the length was purely to appeal to this market, although the Inupiaq had a long artistic tradition of small, singular figures and carved fish lures for their own use.
Credit Line
A. Augustus Healy Fund
Item History
- Made between 1901 and 1925
What
Who
- Culture
- Inupiaq Eskimo
Where
- Holding Institution
- Brooklyn Museum
When
- Creation Date
- between 1901 and 1925
Other
- Location
- Luce Visible Storage and Study Center, 5th Floor
- Classification
- Sculpture