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
These bows vary slightly in dimensions, but are not less than a foot
or more than 16 inches long, and are almost always of walrus ivory.
No. 89508 [956] (Fig. 152), is an old and rudely made bow of
whalebone, which is more strongly arched than usual, and has the
string attached to notches at the ends instead of into holes. This was
said to belong with an old bone drill, No. 89498 [956]. Both came from
Nuwŭk. These bows are often highly ornamented both by carving and with
incised patterns colored with red ocher or soot. The following figures
are introduced to show some of the different styles of ornamentation.
Fig. 153_a_, No. 56506 [298] is unusually broad and flat and was
probably made for a handle to a tool bag. Such handles, however,
appear to be also used for drill bows. The tips of this bow represent
seals heads, and have good sized sky-blue glass beads inserted for
eyes. The rest of the ornamentation is incised and blackened. Fig.
153_b_, No. 89421 [1260], from Utkiavwĭñ, is a similar bow, which has
incised on the back figures of men and animals, which, perhaps, tell
of some real event. Mr. L. M. Turner informs me that the natives of
Norton Sound keep a regular record of hunting and other events
engraved in this way upon their drill bows, and that no one ever
ventures to falsify these records. We did not learn definitely that
such was the rule at Point Barrow, but we have one bag-handle marked
with whales, which we were told indicated the number killed by the
owner. Fig. 153_c_, No. 89425 [1732], from Utkiavwĭñ, is a similar
bow, ornamented on the back with simply an incised border colored red.
On the other side are the figures of ten bearded seals, cross-hatched
and blackened. These are perhaps a “score.” Fig. 153_d_, No. 89509
[914], from Nuwŭk, is a bow of the common pattern, but ornamented by
carving the back into a toothed keel.
[Illustration: FIG. 151.--Bow drill. 1/4]
Fig. 153_e_, No. 89510 [961], from Utkiavwĭñ, is ornamented on one
side only with an incised pattern, which is blackened. Fig. 153_f_,
No. 89511 [961], also from Utkiavwĭñ, has, in addition to the incised
and blackened pattern, a small transparent sky-blue glass bead inlaid
in the middle of the back. Fig. 153_g_, No. 89512 [836], from the same
place, is a flat bow with the edges carved into scallops. The incised
line along the middle of the back is colored with red ocher. The
string is made of sinew braid.
[Illustration: FIG. 152.--Drill bow. 1/4]
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