Ethnological results of the Point Barrow expedition: Ninth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1887-1888, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1892, pages 3-442Murdoch, John
History
Ethnological results of the Point Barrow expedition: Ninth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1887-1888, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1892, pages 3-442
Murdoch, John
Eskimos -- Alaska -- Barrow, Point, Region
No. 89415 [1070], Fig. 43, is made of a single piece of mountain-sheep
horn, dark brown from age and use, softened and molded into shape. It
is impregnated with oil, showing that it has been long in use. This
utensil closely resembles a great number of specimens in the Museum
from the more southern parts of Alaska. No. 89411 [1294] (Fig. 44) is
a typical bone ladle. The material is rather coarse-grained, compact
bone from a whale’s rib or jawbone. No. 89414 [1013] closely resembles
this but is a trifle larger. The other two specimens are interesting
as showing an attempt at ornamentation. No. 89412 [1102] (Fig. 45,
from Nuwŭk) is carved smoothly into a rude, flattened figure of a
whale (Balaena mysticetus). The flukes form the handle and the belly
is hollowed out into the bowl of the ladle. No. 89413 [934] (Fig. 46,
from Utkiavwĭñ) has the handle carved into a rude bear’s head, which
has the eyes, nostrils, and outline of the mouth incised and filled in
with dark oil dregs. All these ladles have the curved side of the bowl
on the left, showing that they were meant to be used with the right
hand. The name, kĭliu´tɐ, obtained for these ladles is given in the
vocabulary collected by Dr. Oldmixon as “scraper,” which seems to be
the etymological meaning of the word. These implements may be used for
scraping blubber from skins, or the name may correspond in meaning to
the cognate Greenlandic kiliortût, “a scraper; especially a mussel
shell (a natural scraper).” The resemblance of these ladles to a
mussel shell is sufficiently apparent for the name to be applied to
them. Indeed, they may have been made in imitation of mussel shells,
which the Eskimo, in all probability, like so many other savages, used
for ladles as well as scrapers.
[Illustration: FIG. 45.--Bone ladle in the form of a whale. 1/4]
[Illustration: FIG. 46.--Bone ladle. 3/8]
MISCELLANEOUS HOUSEHOLD UTENSILS.
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