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
A strip of whalebone 4¼ inches wide is bent round a nearly circular
bottom of cottonwood so as to form a small tub. The edges of the
bottom are chamfered to fit a shallow croze in the whalebone. The
overlapping ends of the whalebone are sewed together with a strip of
whalebone in long stitches. This dish is quite old and impregnated
with grease. Vessels of this kind are uncommon, and it is probable
that none have been made since whalebone acquired its present
commercial value. They were very likely in much more general use
formerly, as when there was no such market for whalebone as at present
it would be cheaper to make tubs of this material than to buy wooden
ones. In corroboration of this view it may be noted that Dr. Simpson
does not mention woodenware among the articles brought for sale by the
Nunatañmiun.[N177] The small whalebone vessels will be described under
drinking cups, which see.
[Footnote N173: First Voy., p. 286.]
[Footnote N174: Second Voy., p. 503.]
[Footnote N175: Grønl. Ordbog., p. 293.]
[Footnote N176: Vega, vol. 2, p. 124.]
[Footnote N177: Op. cit., p. 266.]
_Meat bowls._--(Pĭ´tûño, see remarks on p. 88.) Large wooden bowls are
used to hold meat, fat, etc., both raw and cooked, which are generally
served on trays. These are of local manufacture and carved from blocks
of soft driftwood. The four specimens collected are all made of
cottonwood, and, excepting No. 73570 [408], have been long in use and
are thoroughly impregnated with grease and blood.
No. 89864 [1322] (Fig. 19) will serve as the type. This is deep and
nearly circular, with flat bottom and rounded sides. The brim is
ornamented with seven large sky-blue glass beads imbedded in it at
equal intervals, except on one side, where there is a broken notch in
the place of a bead.
[Illustration: FIG. 19.--Meat bowl. 1/4]
Another, No. 89863 [1320], is larger and not flattened on the bottom,
and the brim is thinner. It is also provided with a bail of seal
thong, very neatly made, as follows: One end of the thong is knotted
with a single knot into one of the holes so as to leave one long part
and one short part (about 3 inches). The long part is then carried
across and through the other hole from the outside, back again through
the first hole and again across, so that there are three parts of
thong stretched across the bowl. The end is then tightly wrapped in a
close spiral round all the other parts, including the short end, and
the wrapping is finished off by tucking the end under the last turn.
The specimen shows the method of mending wooden dishes, boxes, etc.,
which have split. A hole is bored on each side of the crack, and
through the two is worked a neat lashing of narrow strips of
whalebone, which draws the parts together.
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