Frank L. Babbott Fund

The toggle head is a seal poking through the ice at one end with an angled spur located at the other. The toggle types have a line hole near the midsection of the harpoon head.The toggle head is attached to a fore-shaft assembly which provides the weight to thrust the head through the mammal’s skin and blubber right down into the muscle. When the strike is good enough to get the harpoon head deep into the animal’s muscle, the fore-shaft assembly falls away. This toggle may have been used for seal hunting.

This rattle or paddle has eight carved walrus along it attached with ivory pegs to the wand so one is missing. This style of ivory tusk carving was done in response to the trade market where carvers quickly invented the form of carving tusks. The concept of small animals attached along the length was purely to appeal to this market, although the Inupiaq had a long artistic tradition of small, singular figures and carved fish lures for their own use.

This is a long curved tusk engraved [scrimshaw is a non-Native term for this type of engraving on ivory] with scenes depicting men hunting walrus in boats, scenes of village huts and food preparation. There is a break in it.

Pair of long boots made of caribou skin; with long, brown fur strips and edged with white fur.

Woman's wedding dress of caribou hides with the fur on the inside of the costume, long sleeved with a hood. It is decorated with bead design on the front bib, epaulets and hood in blue, white, red, yellow and other colors. It has fringes on the epaulets and hood of white, blue, red and yellow with beads and teeth. The bottom edge which is curvilinear has a hide fringe. Three wooden amulets are suspended from the neck.

Woman's parka of brown and white fur (caribou?) with the brown used as a design on the white fur. It is trimmed in a hide fringe around the curvilinear back bottom and front edges. There is bordered white fur near the face area, fur on the sleeves cut to form stripes, geometric design on the chest and over the stomach flap. Fringe hangs from the hem of upper portion like a weskit and from shoulder epaulets. It was exhibited with 36.32.Note: photo in Luna is upside down.