460 Thomas Thomsen 



A little toy bear, of wood, (PI. XXV, 4) was found in house 132 

 at Renskæret. This figure (L. 3501) which is 68 cm. long, and Г8 

 cm. high, is somewhat roughly carved from a flat stick, only 9 mm. 

 thick. The legs are thus only indicated by a couple of blocks, 12 

 cm. broad, the carver apparently not daring to make them thinner, 

 lest the wood should split, as the grain runs from head to tail of 

 the figure. He has nevertheless succeeded, with few strokes of the 

 tool, in giving a very natural presentment of the bear with its long 

 neck outstretched, small ears, and slightly hanging belly-part. 



The representations of the human figure in Greenland art 

 are far inferior to those of animals. All the specimens of human 

 figures in the present collection are of the usual conventional type, 

 without arms, and with the face cut as a flat surface. The same 

 applies to most of the other figures found in North-east Greenland;^ 

 in one or two cases, however, human figures have been found with 

 eyes, nose and mouth indicated. ^ 



In the same house with the wooden bear above described was 

 found the wooden figure of a woman (PI. XXV, 1) 59 cm. high. 

 The hair is done up in a tall topknot pointing slantwise back, the 

 body is nude (L. 3500). As far as I am aware, no corresponding 

 arrangement of the hair is found on any other Greenland doll hi- 

 therto known; both in the west and at Angmagsalik, the topknot is 

 shown standing straight up, and the upper, broader part above the 

 tie is generally executed with particular care; the wooden dolls are 

 mostly designed to be seen full face. ^ The woman from Renskæret 

 has done her hair in a peculiar fashion, with no tie in the middle, 

 but making an even cylindrical figure, rounded at the top; the ar- 

 rangement as it stands resembles mostly the central Eskimo method 

 of doing the hair as shown by Boas. ^ 



Another woman's figure, (PI. XI, 6) carved in bone, is from the 

 great find made at Snenæs. This specimen (L. 3747) which is 3*1 

 cm. high, is dressed in the wide frock in which the child is carried 

 on the back. Owing to the shape of the material, the figure tapers 

 more than would be natural towards the lower end. The legs are 

 separated by a series of drilled holes. 



The houses on Renskæret contained several other small wooden 

 figures, as for instance in house 131 the naked man shown in PI. 

 XXV, 2 (L. 3443) 4*9 cm. high, and in house 130 the dressed figure 

 of a man (L. 3417) shown in PI. XXV, 3, which is only very small, 

 3*9 cm. high. The lower edge of the frock is indicated both in back 



^ KoLDEWEY, p. 601, Fig. 1; Nathorst, p. 364. - Nathorst, p. 348; Ryder I, 

 p. 337, Fig. 37. s Cf. е. g. Thalbitzer II, p. 645, Fig. 366. * Boas I, p. 561, 

 Fig. 515 profile drawing. 



