3il2 THK POINT BARROW KSKIMO. 



alioiit s iuclies of tin- middle of the shaft painted red, with a hlM± ring 

 at the middle of the feathering. Seven of these are fi-oni 8idaru. one 

 from Xuwuk. ami our from Utkiavwiu. Five from Sidarn have a red 

 ring round the middle, and a green one about the middle of the feather- 

 ing, and four of tlir same set have also a red ring in front of the green 

 one. Three from UtUiavw in, belonging to different sets, have the shaft 

 l)ainted red from the nuddle to the beginning of the feathering, and 

 three red rings 2 inches from the nock. Seven belonging to these 

 sets from the two iiortiicrn villages are unpainted. 



A set of two small arrows which belong with the l)oy's bow No. 

 SOilOt [7.S(i] are peciUiai' in their nuirking. About oi inches of the 

 ndddle of the shaft is painted red, there is a black ring round the middle, 

 and a bla(;k spiral running the whole length of the feathering. 



The only decorative work in metal is to be seen in the pii)esand their 

 accomi)anying i)icks and tire steel which have akeady been described. 



In addition to these illustrations of decorative art, we brought home 

 a .series of seventy-nine objects wlii(di may be considered as purely 

 works of art without reference to dec-oration. Some of the older objects 

 in this series perhai)s also served the purpose of amulets or charms,' 

 but a number of the new ones were made simi)ly as works of fancy for 

 sale to us. These objects are all carvings of various materials, some- 

 times very rude and sometimes very neatly linished, but in most cases 

 even wlien rudely made highly characteristic of the object represented.^ 

 Walrus ivory, usually from the tusks, but sometimes from the teeth, is 

 the commonest material for these carvings. Thirty-six of the series 

 are made of this material, which is very well suited for the purpose, 

 being worked with tolerable ease, and capable of receiving a high finish. 

 Soapstoue, from the ease with which it can be cut, is also rather a 

 favorite material. Seventeen of these carvings are made of soapstone, 

 in many cases evidently pieces of an old lamp or kettle. Other mineral 

 substances ap]iear to lie rarely used. Three images, all made for sale 

 and by the same hand, are of soft white gy])sum and one tiny image of 

 a bear is rudely flaked out of gray flint. (There are in the collection a 

 nuiid>er of rude images of whales, made by flaking irom flint, jasper, 

 and glass, but as these were ascertained without doubt to be amulets, 

 they will be described inider that head.) Eleven are made of wood, 

 nine of bone, (me of antler, and one of the tooth of the polar bear. 

 Twenty-three of tliese carvings re|ivesi'nt liuman beings, sometimes in- 

 tentionally grciiesiiiir and caricatured; twenty-one, bowhead whales; 

 louiteeu, jiolar bears; li\c, seals; three, walruses; one, a beluga; one, a 

 lisii; and seven, fanciful monst(!rs. Four are ornanunited objects made 

 for sale: not, strictly speaking, images. 



Six of the representations of the human face or figure are of wood, 



' (•,„ni>arb Nordcnskiol.l. V.-p,. vol. 2, p. 120 and liiiik. Tales, etc., p. 52. 

 ^^^(•oiiipar.! li.-.ss.-l.,. Naturalist, vi.l. IK, N„. ;), ,.. «K0, wl,,-,-,, l„^ speaks of finding atnong tlie peopleof 

 "1'." '^'"-^ earvni;;s n'pii'si-nliti;^ ;iiiimal.s ami liiini;iii Ii^ure,s " exeeediugly characteristic." 



