Lot 136
Native American, Alaska, Inuit people, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. A fantastically useful tool made from a seal claw, with a handle from the leg bone of an ungulate and animal hide wrappings holding it all together. Seals are comforted by the sound of other seals on nearby ice. Ice scratchers, like this example, allow hunters to mimic the sound of seals on ice by making a series of fast short scratches on the ice. The pattern and sound lulls alerted seals into a sense of security which allows the hunter to approach and get close enough to strike. The scratching sound may also attract seals from farther way. Given the effectiveness of the technique, it is still used today, though hunters use different and less specialized tools. Size without strap: 10.9" L x 2.1" W (27.7 cm x 5.3 cm); with strap: 15.4" L x 2.1" W (39.1 cm x 5.3 cm); of frame: 14" L x 11" W (35.6 cm x 27.9 cm)
Seals are an important resource for coastland cultures in the far north. Nearly every part of the seal was used by the Inuit: the seal meat provided a valuable food source, the seal skins were used to make clothing, blankets, tents, and boats, seal blubber was a fuel, sinew made cords and ropes, and the bones and various internal organs were used for making hunting equipment and other tools.
Please note this item falls under the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act and is not eligible for international shipping. Native American, Alaska Native, & Native Hawaiian objects are only eligible to ship within the United States.
Provenance: ex-private West Jordon, Utah, USA collection
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#178545
- Condition: Loss to tip of one claw. Expected nicks, scratches, and abrasions to surface, commensurate with age and use. Otherwise, very nice with rich patina throughout. Set in modern wood and glass case with suspension hooks on verso for display.
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