Bow drill with hide string and scrimshaw decoration / Native American; Inuit

Essay/Description

Bow drill with hide string and scrimshaw decoration.

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Anthropology Item Information

©Gilcrease Museum

Title(s):

Bow drill with hide string and scrimshaw decoration

Culture:

Native American; Inuit

Date:

19th century

Period:

Historic

Place:

Alaska

Materials/Techniques:

ivory

Classification:

Archaeological Objects

Object Type:

Drill Bow

Accession No:

83.1146

Department:

Anthropology

Not On View

Dimensions

Overall:

Height: 0 43/100in. (1.1cm)
Width: 0 37/50in. (1.9cm)
Length: 21 3/8in. (54.3cm)

Tags and Search Terms

Tags:

Alaska, Arctic, bow, bow drill, drill, Eskimo, implements, Indian, Indians, Native American, tools

Tools and amulets typically depicted animals or events, like hunting, in order to make the animal spirits, which enjoyed attention, happy. The Inuit believed that the better the skill and artistry in a piece, the more likely an animal was to return and feed the people (Furst and Furst 1982, 137).

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Cite this Page

Bow drill with hide string and scrimshaw decoration. 83.1146. 19th century. Tulsa: Gilcrease Museum, https://dci-collections.gilcrease.org/object/831146 (04/20/2017).

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