NELSON] PAINT BOXES 199 



For the purpose of storing their fragments of paint the Eskimo use 

 boxes somewhat similar iii general character to those used for tools, 

 save that they are very much smaller. These boxes also serve for keep 

 ing other small articles, such as fishhooks, spear- or arrow-points, etc. 



Figure 8, plate LXII, illustrates a small ivory paint box obtained 

 from Norton sound by Mr L. M. Turner. It is about four inches long- 

 by an inch and a half wide, and with the exception of the cover is 

 made from one piece. It is oblong, and has a sunken ledge at each 

 end to receive the cover. On one end a human face is carved in relief, 

 on the other end the mouth and nostrils of an animal, and on the 

 bottom the figure of a seal. A small wooden box from St Michael 

 (number 33021) is oval in outline and represents the body of a seal. 

 The cover is in the form of a smaller seal, of which the projecting head 

 and neck serve as a handle for raising it. Another paint box, from 

 the lower Yukon (figure 13, plate LXII), is cut from a single piece of 

 wood and represents a salmon, the eyes, nostrils, mouth, gill openings, 

 and lateral line being indicated by incised lines. A square cover fits 

 like a stopper in the top and has a rawhide loop on its center for 

 raising it. A box from Norton sound (figure 11, plate LXII) represents 

 two seals, one on the back of the other, with their heads turned to 

 the left, the upper seal forming the cover. The eyes of both are rep 

 resented by inlaid beads, the nostrils and mouths are indicated by 

 incised lines, and the fore-flippers of the larger seal are carved in 

 relief on its sides. A somewhat similar box (figure 15, plate LXII) was 

 obtained on Nuuivak island, but it represents the figure of only a 

 single seal. 



A curious colored box (figure 12, plate LXII) was obtained at Cape 

 Vancouver. It represents a seal with the mouth open and with the 

 teeth in relief; the fore-flippers are carved in relief on the sides, the 

 eyes and nostrils are indicated by ivory pegs, and various other pegs 

 are inserted on the surface of the body. The back- and fore flippers are 

 painted a dull bluish color; the sides are red, and the same color extends 

 forward over the top of the head to the muzzle; the chin, throat, lower 

 surface of the body, and outline of the flippers, with triangular spots 

 to mark the ears, are black; the teeth are outlined in red. A similar 

 box from the same locality (figure 17, plate LXII) represents a banded 

 seal. The lower surface of the body and a large, triangular space from 

 the crown to the shoulders are colored black; the remainder of the 

 upper surface is alternately banded with red and black lines. 



A paint box from Norton sound (figure 9, plate LXII) is made from a 

 single piece, and represents a seal. The fore-flippers are in relief, the 

 tail and hind flippers are carved free, and the whiskers are represented 

 by little tufts of seal hair set in on each side of the muzzle. The cover, 

 which is of spoon shape, fits like a stopper and is provided with a 

 projecting rod which serves as a thumb piece for raising it. 



A curiously shaped box from Big lake (figure 16, plate LXII) is 



