bow drill
- Museum number
- Am1855,1220.228.a
- Description
-
Bow drill made of walrus ivory, string (leather). Broken into parts a and b. Part a has drilled hole with leather tied through. Engraved with images of walrus and whale hunting and grazing caribou. One side contains an image of birds in flight above walrus and whales.
- Dimensions
-
Height: 21.25 centimetres
-
Width: 1.75 centimetres
-
Depth: 4 centimetres (including thong)
- Curator's comments
- Comments by Amy Chan of Arizona State University on 6th November 2012. This fragment can be identified as the other half of Am1985,Q.114 (renumbered Am1855,1220.228.b) as the incised image of a whale and the vertical lines all match when the halves are placed alongside one another. In addition, the style and motifs incorporating myth creatures are executed in very similar fashion on both halves and the ugruk (sealhide) strap is the same width and texture, indicating that the two halves of the strap were produced from the same animal. The two halves, when placed alongside one another are missing only a section of incised design on either side of the break.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1855
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- Am1855,1220.228.a
