Spirit figure

Museum number:

2-4606

Permalink:

ark:/21549/hm21020004606

Alternate number:

x-1002 (original number)

Accession number:

Acc.167

Description:

Standing wood anthropomorphic "spirit" figure with 2 separately carved arms, pegs inserted in longitudinal groove on torso, peg teeth in crescent-shaped mouth. Red, white pigment.

Donor:

Alaska Commercial Company, Benjamin Bristol, and Older University Collections

Collection place:

Lower Yukon, Yukon, Yukon-Koyukuk Borough

Verbatim coll. place:

Alaska; Kuskokwim; Kuskokwim River

Culture or time period:

Alaskan Eskimo

Collector:

unknown

Collection date:

1898

Materials:

Wood (plant material)

Object type:

ethnography

Object class:

Carvings (visual works)

Function:

5.1 Religion and Divination: Objects and garb associated with practices reflecting submission, devotion, obedience, and service to supernatural agencies and 5.4 Secular and Religious Musical Instruments

Accession date:

1904

Context of use:

grave marker

Department:

Native US and Canada (except California)

Dimensions:

height 44 centimeters

Comment:

Context of use: cf. drum model 2-2127 (handle in same figure); face resembles 2-6625. Cf. The Far North, Collins, de Laguna, et al for shaman''s drum w/ spirt figure handle. Text describes figure as "the exposed body of the shaman''s spirit." Also see 2-7195 for carving of spirit figure thought to be mask attachment or finger mask. Also see "Arts Canada" Dec. 1973/Jan. 1974, p. 35 for other illustrations of S. Jackson drum. This text says that according to an Eskimo informant, "The drum is from Nelson Island, and from and old village probably hot far from the present day Tununik..." "This is an especially interesting example of shamanic art in that the shaman''s body, opened to expose his ribs and organs, forms the handle of the drum. The opening of the body and replacement of the neophyte shaman''s organs with magical ones is a common theme in the mythology of shamanistic initiation." [latter statement by Peter T. Furst in "The roots and continuities of Shamanism" in Art Canada.

Loans:

S1973-1974 #65: Oakland Museum of California (March 8, 1974–April 24, 1974)

Images:

Legacy documentation: