Alaska Ivory/Bone Treasures?

[Divin]

I was on a short trip to Alaska and I mentioned to a friend up there I did a fair amount of metal detecting and he lent me his for a couple of days, I found a lot of gum wrappers, washers, bolts, and nails but when I was digging out a couple of nails near an old abandoned cabin I found these 2.
The smaller lighter one is some kind of Ivory I believe and the other may be some kind of bone, no idea what they are although the larger darker one seems to have some kind of purpose with the large grove and slot at one end.
Figured one of you boys/girls might have an idea.
There are small walruses carved on the smaller light colored one as well as a long horizontal fairly precise grove that runs along each side about 1mm wide and 1mm deep.

 

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[BuckleBoy]

The top one might be a piece of scrimshaw or other folk art. I am not a specialist in this type of material though, and I have no earthly idea how old the pieces might be. In terms of purpose--it might've been as simple as holding a piece of rope taut...or it could be decorative.

I don't know if anyone has any expertise in this area, but hopefully someone can help you.


Best Wishes,


Buckleboy

 

[kuger]

I agree the first is ivory,and looks to be an otter on there as well?

 

[gods country girl]

first one is Baleen second have no idea

 

[kuger]

first one is Baleen second have no idea

Really?I dont think so

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baleen

 

[PChammer]

The wood object, to me, looks like you could attach another piece, perhaps like the old wood fish hooks. They would attach a sharp piece of wood fitting the hole, it would wedge itself on the beveled lip and then they would wrap strands of whatever around it to hold it in place, if it broke, they removed it and placed it with another. I will try to find a picture of what I mean.

Paul

 

[jdsarasin8194]

I would have to say the top one is a type of schrimshaw and made of walruss tusk

 

[Tuberale]

May need to speak to an archaeologist specializing in Innuit or other First Peoples in Alaska. A museum which has an exhibit of such artifacts might have a better idea than most of us on Tnet.

 

[PChammer]

Here is a link to some fishing items. Also, they used some ivory objects like the above as knife holders to set a knife on but there is another link below.

http://www.eskimoivory.com/fishing.html

About the ivory...

http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg31&CISOPTR=10&REC=25

 

[cheese]

I'd say they are Inuit trap sticks / trigger sticks / catch sticks. One looks to be of ivory and one of bone?

 

[jdsarasin8194]

May need to speak to an archaeologist specializing in Innuit or other First Peoples in Alaska. A museum which has an exhibit of such artifacts might have a better idea than most of us on Tnet.

these r not from the first peoples in alaska, at least not the first one, they started doing schrimshaw during the time when the whaling industry was HOT. The top one is more likly than not from around that time peiriod

 

[PChammer]

Well, I can't find anything more so I'll quit posting but I still say by the looks of the wooden piece it's either a fish hook or more likely a fishing lure. The other is either a simple decorative piece or a knife holder.

 

[jdsarasin8194]

i found a storage box full of just toollike things like urs just carved from whale bone, im still gunu stick with walrus tusk on the 1st one tho

 

[BerntOut]

The first item is walrus tusk as there is a walrus carved on the top of the thing....possibly ceremonial

The other dark item I HAVE NO IDEA!

Very nice digs and worth serious research to find out what theyare.