GRAPHIC ART OF THE ESKIMOS. 773 



Mr. Alfred 0. Hadden^ says: 



All human handiwork is subject to the same operation of external forces, but the 

 material on which these forces act is also infinitely varied. The diverse races and 

 people of mankind have difierent ideas and ideals, unequal skill, varied material to 

 work upon, and dissimilar tools to work with. Everywhere the environment is 

 different. » * * 



The conclusion that forced itself upon me is that the decorative art of a people 

 does to a certain extent reflect their character. A poor, miserable people have poor 

 and miserable art. Even among savages leisure from the cares of life is essential for 

 the culture of art. It is too often supposed that all savages are lazy and have an 

 abundance of spare time, but this is by no means always the case. Savages do all 

 that is necessary for life; anything extra is for excitement, a-stbetics, or religion; 

 and even if there is abundance of time for these latter, it does not follow that there 

 is an equivalent superfluity of energy. 



The Eskimo are a peculiarly lively people, and keenly appreciate any- 

 thing ludicrous. Contrary to the Indian generally, they can enjoy a 

 practical joke without thought of resenting such if personal. Such 

 a condition, especially when there is an abundance of food, so that 

 unoccupied time may be utilized for social enjoyment, is one which is 

 apt to foster pursuits that lend gratification and pleasure to the sight 

 and stimulate artistic tendencies. Shamanism prevails extensively and 

 ceremonials are frequent; and apart from this there are numberless 

 individual instances where natives consult the shaman for success in 

 almost every avocation, and also for the exorcism of demons from the 

 body of the sick, and for " hunter's medicine," i. e., securing the help 

 of a shaman that game may be directed in the way of the hunter. It 

 is but reasonable to presume, therefore, that the superstitions and cult 

 beliefs should, to a certain degree, manifest themselves in the art, as 

 well as to be the means of developing a symbolism similar in degree to 

 that found among other peoples living under similar conditions and 

 surrounded by like environment. 



The possible introduction into western Alaska of articles of foreign 

 art or workmanshij) may thus have had but little influence uiDon the 

 native Eskimo in adopting new designs and patterns, with which he 

 was unfamiliar and the signification of which he did not comprehend, 

 but it may have suggested to him a simplification of approaching forms 

 with which he may already have been familiar. 



MATERIALS EMPLOYED. 



The material generally used by the Eskimo of Alaska is walrus ivory. 

 This is both durable and sufficiently hard to retain indefinitely, with 

 proper care, the most delicate etchings. Its white or cream tint forms 

 a delicate background for any colored incisions, and in instances where 

 from age or otherwise the material attains a yellow or orange tint, the 

 black etching-like pictographs are really improved in appearance. 



' "Evolution in Art." London, 1895, pp. 7-9. 



