Ivory Belt Ornaments Item Number: E1677-0 from the National Museum of Natural History

Notes

Source of the information below: Inuvialuit Pitqusiit Inuuniarutait: Inuvialuit Living History, The MacFarlane Collection website, by the Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre (ICRC), Inuvik, N.W.T., Canada (website credits here http://www.inuvialuitlivinghistory.ca/posts/12 ), entry on this artifact http://www.inuvialuitlivinghistory.ca/items/48 , retrieved 12-19-2019: A belt fastener made from antler. Two holes have been drilled through the fastener for attaching to one end of a belt. One surface has been decorated with a series of engraved lines. More information here: http://www.inuvialuitlivinghistory.ca/item_types/6: Belts were worn around the waist outside the parka. They were commonly made from a strip of hide with a loop or slit at one end and a fastener, sometimes called a buckle or clasp, at the other end that was passed through the loop. Fasteners typically were made from bone, antler or ivory, but brass buttons became common in later periods. Teeth, hooves and carved items often were attached to belts, and may have served as charms to ensure success in hunting, or to ward off evil spirits or disease.