Bow drill of walrus tusk with incised decoration.

Collection type: Object
Description: Bow drill of walrus tusk with incised decoration.
Long description: Bow drill, perforated at both ends, with incised scenes of boats, hunting, dancing, etc., blackened.
Geographical reference: United States of America
Northern America > North America > United States of America; Alaska Bering Strait Kotzebue Sound
Cultural groups: Inuit (Greenland); Inuit
Person: Field collector Frederick William Beechey; Field collector HMS Blossom; PRM source Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Date / Period: Date made: Before 1826, uncertain Date made: 1826, uncertain
Date collected: 1826
Acquisition information: Transferred: 15/05/1950, uncertain
Materials and processes: Material Walrus Ivory Tooth Animal, Material Pigment, Process Incised, Process Perforated
Dimensions: Length: max 403 mm
Object numbers: Accession number: 1886.1.692 Other numbers: 662 346 to 350
Research and responses: Note that the date of transfer '1950 5 15' given in the acquired field for 1886.1.694 of 1950 was on original computer entry for this object, the corroboration of this date is not available AND the vellum volume states that this particular object transferred in 1886. It may be that one of the other objects [1886.1.692 - 693] transferred then instead [AP 17/5/99] This object does not appear in the list of Beechey objects in Collectors Miscellaneous XI 71 - 75 [AP 20/7/99] I think it is unlikely that this object is also 1969.34.9 but it is just possible that it is and therefore the accession book entry for that object has been given above, also see separate entry [AP 2/8/99]
Please note that there was no further information about Beechey on the Donor Index cards at the Ashmolean Museum, Department of Antiquities. [L.Ph 23/3/2004]
Associated publications: For full description see Bockstoce 1977.

Search terms: Tool, Figure, Bow Drill, Animal Figure