400 Thomas Thomsen. 



If then, the object in question had been found in a grave, the refer- 

 ence to Nelson'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 

 1. and m. are carved in bone, and are identical with the two shown in 

 Plate XXVIII (left upper corner) in Holm's original edition, and 

 in Thalbitzer's illustration on p. 115 of his English edition of the 

 same work. 



The Author commences by 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) 

 pp. 139—140; Graah (1832) p. 101". 



The reader, wishing to consult the former of these two writers, may 

 look up the List of works consulted. He will there find: "C. Ryder; 

 Om den tidligere eskimoiske Rebyggelse af Scoresby Sound. M. o. Grøn- 

 land, vol. 17, Kbhvn. 1895". Ryder'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 Ryder's, not quoted by the 

 Editor, viz: "Beretning om den østgrønlandske Expedition 1891 — 92," 

 in which we read, on p. 139 — 40: 



Justitsraad Steinhauer supposed that there was some higher 

 religious significance attaching to the wooden small figures or dolls 



