This object is on loan to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center, from 2010 through 2027.The Anthropology Conservation Lab condition report for this object by Michele Austin, 12-24-2008, describes it as a spindle constructed from a shaft of wood with a bone whorl. The whorl is seated in place with a small piece of woven cloth acting as a wedge. The condition report identifies this as a spindle for making yarn. It notes that the original cataloguing identified the object as a "fire stick", and that a type of spindle was used to start fires in Tlingit culture, but the spindle fire sticks or starters described by Emmons do not match the description of this spindle (Emmons, George T. 1991. The Tlingit Indians. Seattle: University of Washington Press: 158-159). Source of the information below: Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Alaska Native Collections: Sharing Knowledge website, by Aron Crowell, entry on this artifact http://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=615 , retrieved 1-13-2012: Drop spindle, Tlingit Drop-spindles with stone weights were used to twist mountain goat wool into yarn for the weft (cross strands) of woven blankets. The spinner attached a starter-piece of yarn to the wooden shaft, let the tool dangle in the air, and then spun the circular stone weight. She kept the spindle turning as she gradually added new fibers into the yarn, skillfully drawing out a twisted strand of the length she needed.

The objects catalogued as E75461 and E75462 are actually two halves of the same object, which may be an Eskimo drill bow?

FROM CARD: "67904 LOANED TO C-H. 8/19/81. RETURNED TO NHB 2/15/82." SEE USNM AR 1895, P. 965 - 6, WHERE THIS ARTIFACT IS DESCRIBED: "BOW OR HANDLE. AN ALMOST SQUARE, SLIGHTLY CURVED SPECIMEN, WITH ENGRAVINGS ON ALL SIDES EXCEPTING THE UNDER OR CONCAVE ONE. THE TOP OR CONVEX SURFACE BEARS, AMONG OTHER OBJECTS, A LARGE UMIAK, THE FOUR OCCUPANTS OF WHICH ARE INDICATED BY THE HEADS, ARMS, AND PADDLES ONLY, THE VERTICAL BODY LINE BEING PURPOSELY OMITTED OR FORGOTTEN. SOME CONVENTIONAL TREES ARE USED AS ORNAMENTAL MARKINGS. THE SIDES BEAR SEAL HUNTS,... . EACH SIDE IS ORNAMENTED BY TWO DEEPLY INCISED GROOVES, ONE AT EITHER EDGE OF THE FACES OF THE BOW, AND THE ENGRAVINGS ARE DEEPLY AND FORCIBLY MADE, ALL BEING FILLED IN WITH BLACK. THOUGH MARKED AS FROM 'CHILKAT', THE SPECIMEN HAS THE CHARACTERISTIC APPEARANCE OF THE WORK DONE BY THE NATIVES OF NORTON SOUND."

Provenience note: collection apparently purchased or collected by McLean in Sitka and vicinity circa 1884.

May be Sitka Tlingit?: it is identified as collected in Sitka; and also see accession history re the basket part of this accession being from the "Sitka-Kwahn." Originally catalogued as ""Egyptian" jar-shaped", though the shape appears more reminiscent of ginger jars.