Swivel Toggle Item Number: Na1085 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Cup-form swivel toggle, or harness swivel, with a piece of flat leather knotted through the hole in one end. On cup bowl side, a short tang faces in over bowl. Cree syllabics are incised on tang, either side of concave bowl surface and in dots at shaft at leather thong end. Rows of dots encircle shaft end; two rows of dots at outside, one row towards cup. Outside convex surface has longitudinal ridge crossed by a single row with u-shaped towards double row along rim. Shaft end has two rows of dots at outside circumference and at cup. A double row of dots in a u-shape, cross the centre line at each end. Leather thong is cut at outside end with a hole 1 cm from the end.
History Of Use
Swivel toggles, or harness swivels, are used for quick release on dog team harnesses. A line would go through the entry hole and a connecting line would be looped over the short tang (Ackerman).
Cultural Context
transportation
Narrative
The syllabics are a prayer that translates loosely as: “Arnasiapik is writing to Jesus, please understand and protect them from harm.” The style suggests an origin from eastern Nunavut or Nunavik (northern Quebec).
Iconographic Meaning
Toggle is decorated with a dot motif, common on Inuit artifacts. The word Guuti (God) is written next to the cross. The creator possibly wanted to identify himself with the new religion. Or it could indicate syncretism, a blending of Inuit beliefs with Christianity.
Item History
- Made in Nunavut, Canada ? between 1876 and 1900
- Owned by Marianne Koerner and Walter C. Koerner before January 8, 1981
- Received from Marianne Koerner (Donor) and Walter C. Koerner (Donor) on January 8, 1981
What
- Name
- Swivel Toggle
- Identification Number
- Na1085
- Type of Item
- swivel
- Material
- leather skin and walrus tusk
- Manufacturing Technique
- carved, drilled, incised and knotted
- Overall
- height 11.5 cm, width 4.0 cm, depth 2.5 cm
Who
- Culture
- Inuit
- Previous Owner
- Marianne Koerner and Walter C. Koerner
- Received from
- Marianne Koerner (Donor) and Walter C. Koerner (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Nunavut, Canada ?
When
- Creation Date
- between 1876 and 1900
- Ownership Date
- before January 8, 1981
- Acquisition Date
- on January 8, 1981
Other
- Condition
- good
- Current Location
- Case 46
- Accession Number
- 0697/0006