Knife

Museum number:
2-4296
Permalink:
ark:/21549/hm21020004296
Alternate number:
x-442 (original number)
Accession number:
Acc.167
Description:
Iron. Eyes and lunate mouth excised on handle, concentric engraved circles on blade. Copper grip with snakelike head, fish tail, abalone inlay (some missing). Twisted sinew bound around grip over which is long coil of plaited human hair. Circle in handle said to be compass cut (fide JW).
Donor:
Alaska Commercial Company, Benjamin Bristol, and Older University Collections
Collection place:
Alaska
Verbatim coll. place:
Alaska
Culture or time period:
Kodiak Eskimo
Collector:
B. G. McIntyre
Collection date:
1850-1900
Materials:
Hair (material) and Sinew (material)
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Plaited weaving
Function:
1.1 Hunting and Fishing
Accession date:
1904
Context of use:
Atypical. Twisted sinew wrapping on handle, compass cut circle in steel blade are Eskimo additions, typical of Eastern Eskimos. Possibly a trophy. (fide John Witthoft, University Museum, Philadelphia)
Department:
Native US and Canada (except California)
Dimensions:
length 51 centimeters
Images:
Hearst Museum object titled Knife, accession number 2-4296, described as Iron. Eyes and lunate mouth excised on handle, concentric engraved circles on blade. Copper grip with snakelike head, fish tail, abalone inlay (some missing). Twisted sinew bound around grip over which is long coil of plaited human hair. Circle in handle said to be compass cut (fide JW).
Legacy documentation:
Documentation associated with Hearst Museum object titled Knife, accession number 2-4296, described as Iron. Eyes and lunate mouth excised on handle, concentric engraved circles on blade. Copper grip with snakelike head, fish tail, abalone inlay (some missing). Twisted sinew bound around grip over which is long coil of plaited human hair. Circle in handle said to be compass cut (fide JW).Documentation associated with Hearst Museum object titled Knife, accession number 2-4296, described as Iron. Eyes and lunate mouth excised on handle, concentric engraved circles on blade. Copper grip with snakelike head, fish tail, abalone inlay (some missing). Twisted sinew bound around grip over which is long coil of plaited human hair. Circle in handle said to be compass cut (fide JW).Documentation associated with Hearst Museum object titled Knife, accession number 2-4296, described as Iron. Eyes and lunate mouth excised on handle, concentric engraved circles on blade. Copper grip with snakelike head, fish tail, abalone inlay (some missing). Twisted sinew bound around grip over which is long coil of plaited human hair. Circle in handle said to be compass cut (fide JW).

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