NO. 14 PREHISTORIC ART OF ALASKAN ESKIMO — COLLINS II 



versely through the object, emerging at both sides immediately below 

 the rounded projections at the somewhat constricted center. Cut into 

 the sides and leading down from this perforation are two very narrow 

 grooves similar to the groove in one of the specimens from Kotzebue 

 Sound figured by Mathiassen. The rounded lip-like projection at the 

 center may be compared with the raised border on the preceding 

 specimen and the others first mentioned. The lightly incised lines 

 forming the decoration have been almost entirely eflFaced on the two 

 flat surfaces but still are faintly visible along the sides, though not 

 in the photograph. The pattern consists* of concentric circles with 

 small cylindrical holes at the center 5 mm. deep. About these are con- 

 tinuous and broken lines and small spurs. 



The objects shown on the preceding plates illustrate the various 

 known forms of the ancient Bering Sea art. The features character- 

 istic of this art may be outlined as follows: (i) nucleated circles 

 and ellipses, usually concentric and often surmounting low rounded 

 elevations ; (2) the arrangement of these on certain objects so as to 

 suggest the eyes of an animal 1(3) deeply excavated centers to some 

 of the circles, sometimes inset with discs of baleen or other material ; 

 (4) small circles at the inner angle of two converging lines ; (5) spurs 

 attached to the circles and lines ; (6) straight and curved lines, singly 

 or in bands, serving usually to accentuate the circles and fill in the 

 vacant spaces; (7) finely incised broken or dotted hnes ; (8) an 

 occasional checked or hachured area ; (9) raised borders to grooves 

 and rounded lip-like projections. 



When we turn to consider the shapes and the surface elevations 

 and depressions of the objects it is seen that they also form an im- 

 portant part of the decorative scheme. The notches in the wings of 

 the specimen on plate 6, for example, are the beginning of the sections 

 or panels into which the wings are divided and within which the lines 

 and circles are so gracefully arranged. Similarly, the entire rounded 

 end of the wing is set off by a curving line enclosing and unifying the 

 design. The circles on the terminal barbs of the harpoon heads, such 

 as those shown on plate i, are placed in relation to the shape of the 

 barb itself to suggest eyes, and the effect is repeated in the pair im- 

 mediately above when a small triangular area is cut away, leaving a 

 rounded and slightly elevated " nose." The same principle may be 

 seen in the specimens on plate 4, a, and plate 7, c. In short, it may 

 be said that the old Bering Sea art is marked by a profuse but ex- 

 tremely graceful application of lines, curves, and circles in such a way 

 as to realize to the utmost, within the limits of the accepted patterns, 

 the artistic possibilities of the surfaces to be covered. 



