Walrus ivory blade (damaged at tip). Two large perforations on tusk through wich rawhide thongs go to connect it to single large perforation on handle.
Donor:
Alaska Commercial Company, Benjamin Bristol, and Older University Collections
Collection place:
St. Michael, St. Michael Island, Nome Borough
Verbatim coll. place:
Alaska; St. Michael
Culture or time period:
Alaskan Eskimo
Collector:
unknown
Collection date:
unknown
Materials:
Leather, Walrus ivory, and Wood (plant material)
Taxon:
Odobenus rosmarus
Object type:
ethnography
Function:
1.5 Household
Accession date:
1904
Context of use:
To remove frozen snow, to cut holes in the ice for fishing, etc. Identified by Jean Lou Rousselot as root pick. Root digger, according to Eskimo consultant Ronald W Senungtuk, July 1987. Blade seems too long for root pick.
Department:
Native US and Canada (except California)
Dimensions:
blade— length 39.5 centimeters and handle— length 65.2 centimeters
Comment:
References: Nelson XXXV #1 and text p. 78. Rootpicks ill. #114, INUA and Nelson PL. XXXIII:B, text p. 375.
Loans:
S1983-1984 #14: Department of Anthropology (UC Berkeley)/James Anderson (Hupa) (September 19, 1983–September 26, 1983)