400 THOMAS THOMSEN. 
If then, the object in question had been found in a grave, the refer- 
ence to Netson’s work would not apply. It was therefore thought desi- 
rable to look up JoHAN PETERSEN's own catalogue of the collection, 
and see if perchance the object might have been found beside a grave. 
The list in question, has, however, neither the one nor the other, but 
states simply: “Carved head or double mask found by excavation (Ud- 
gravning) of an old house in the Angmagsalik Fjord”. 
In view of the new light thus cast upon the origin of this figure, 
it will doubtless be best to leave the Editor's theory alone, and content 
ourselves with appreciating the object itself, as the finest piece of picture 
work hitherto produced by East Greenland Eskimos. 
WODDEN DOLLS. 
A very considerable number of dolls, differing greatly as to size 
and manner of execution, have in course of time found their way to the 
National Museum; as a matter of fact they may be counted in hundreds. 
It is therefore but natural, that in a work like Cand. THALBITZER’s, 
they should be accorded a chapter to themselves. 
With regard to this section there is a good deal to be said. 
Fig. 366, for instance, shows a number of small figures there described 
as “Dolls carved in wood”. Here again, however, it must be observed, 
albeit at the risk of wearying the reader with repetition, that the Editor’s 
eye has been at fault with regard to the material: the dolls marked 
l. and m. are carved in bone, and are identical with the two shown in 
Plate XXVIII (left upper corner) in Horm’s original edition, and 
in THALBITZER’s illustration on р. 115 of his English edition of the 
same work. Å 
The Author commences hy observing that the dolls “must be con- 
sidered in the main as toys but it is possible, that by the grown-up people 
they were formerly given a significance beyond their capacity as play- 
things”. And in support of this suggestion he quotes "RYDER (1895) 
рр. 139—140; Свллн (1832) р. 101”. 
The reader, wishing to consult the former of these two writers, may 
look up the List of works consulted. He will there find: “С. RyDEr: 
Om den tidligere eskimoiske Bebyggelse af Scoresby Sound. M. о. Gron- 
land, vol. 17, Kbhvn. 1895”. Ryper’s work on the subject referred to 
commences, however, on p. 281; but the same volume of the Medd. 
om Grønland contains another work of Ryper’s, not quoted by the 
Editor, viz: "Beretning om den ostgronlandske Expedition 1891—92,” 
in which we read, оп р. 139—40: 
Justitsraad Steinhauer supposed that there was some higher 
religious significance attaching to the wooden small figures or dolls 
