Handle Item Number: 3584/5 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Thin handle(?) shaped like an otter. Top edge is gently curved and has sides that flare out into a flat base; handle also tapers towards back. Tail incised along top edge; space on sides, between tail and bottom edge, done in counter-relief. Otter has an open mouth at front and small facial features incised along top edge; all incisions are filled with black pigment(?). Bottom jaw of otter sharply flares out (edges are broken).

Narrative

Acquired by the donor's father when he lived in Nyac, Alaska, on the Kuskokwim River, from the 1920s to 1960s.

Item History

What

Name
Handle
Identification Number
3584/5
Type of Item
handle
Material
walrus tusk ? or pigment ?
Overall
height 1.2 cm, width 1.4 cm, depth 9.3 cm

Who

Culture
Yup'ik
Previous Owner
Susan Hall
Received from
Susan Hall (Donor)

Where

Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
Made in
Alaska, USA

When

Collection Date
between 1920 and 1969
Ownership Date
before August 19, 2022
Acquisition Date
on August 19, 2022

Other

Condition
fair
Accession Number
3584/0005