Walrus tusk with overall engraved and darkened scenes; shed, umiaks and kayaks with hunters, whale being cut-up, spouting whales, seals on one side; various animals including foxes, caribou, rabbits, dogs sleds, snared birds in tree on the other side. One large chip in tail of canine at base of tusk.
Donor:
Phoebe Apperson Hearst
Collection place:
Northwest Bering Sea, Alaska
Verbatim coll. place:
Alaska; Northwest Bering Sea
Culture or time period:
Alaskan Eskimo and Inupiaq Eskimo
Maker or artist:
Happy Jack
Collector:
Charles L. Hall
Collection date:
ca. 1895
Taxon:
Odobenus rosmarus
Object type:
ethnography
Function:
5.7 Objects made for sale, souvenirs, models, and reproductions
Accession date:
August 12, 1902
Context of use:
Novelty made for sale. Most likely engraved by Happy Jack, an Inupiaq engraver and probably the most famous engraver of his time in Alaska. Happy Jack was the most famous Native Alaskan engraver since he was one of the few to sign his name on his art, and engraved so much to the point that unattributed work was sometimes guessed to be done by Happy Jack. However, Happy Jack was known to carve many scenes involving sledding and his use of two-dimensional silhouettes is distinct. Cf. 2-155
Department:
Native US and Canada (except California)
Dimensions:
length 59.5 centimeters
Comment:
cf. Jones, Suzi, ed. Eskimo drawings. Anchorage Museum of History & Art, 2003.
Loans:
S1945-1946 #4: Winfield Scott Wellington (March 11, 1946–October 28, 1955), S1957-1960 [XXX Wellington]: University Art Museum (UC Berkeley) (1957–1960), S1962-1963 #61: Anthropology (UC Berkeley)/Vincent Evans (June 24, 1963–June 24, 1963), S1964-1965 #9: University of California, Davis (September 3, 1964–January 1965), S1966-1967 #12: Design (UC Berkeley) (October 12, 1966–October 28, 1966), S1966-1967 #72: Library Photographic Service, University of California (February 22, 1967–March 21, 1967), S1975-1976 #9: Palo Alto Cultural Center (November 1974–unknown), and S1976-1977 #92: M. H. de Young Memorial Museum (June 27, 1977–April 7, 1978)