558 W. Thalbitzer 



shapes and correspond to the same kind of implements used by the 

 central and western Eskimo ^). 



Snuff-horns or trinket boxes (pp. 39, 140 and fig. 287). These 

 are pipe-shaped boxes provided with a lid or stopper at both ends. 

 The two specimens in fig. 287 a and b are made of hollow bones ^), 

 с of wood (bamboo-rod?), d is made of bone and wood, and the 

 beehive-shaped bottom part ends below in two bead ornaments of 

 the same kind as found on the handles of men's knives (fig. 181 etc.). 

 The ornamental dots and figures carved on the small snuff-horn 

 (fig. 287 a) are of great interest and will be mentioned in the section 

 on the ornamentation of the Ammassalikers. In the wooden horn 

 (fig. 287 c) I found some crushed whitish snuff. The horn is filled 

 by turning the bottom upwards and removing it, so that the snuff 

 can be put in; when wanted for use small portions of snuff are 

 poured out through the smaller opening at the upper end. 



In these snuff'-horns {tupaaisiwik 'tobacco place'), which as far 

 as known only occur in the Ammassalik collections from Greenland, 

 we recognize the trinket-boxes of the Alaskan Eskimo (kigiunar) 

 described by Murdoch ^). It is true that the latter have the bottom 

 nailed on and that the lids are made fast by means of sinew-threads, 

 but their shape and size quite agree with the Greenland ones, most 

 of them are of bone, often reindeer-antler, with wooden lid and 

 bottom and several of them are ornamented on the outside with 

 incised lines or dots. The original use of these Greenland boxes 

 has probably been the same as in Alaska, where they serve for 

 holding threads, beads and all sorts of little trinkets and knicknacks. 



As Murdoch also described a similar i^ind of box or basket of fine 

 twigs or root of willow in connection with tliese trinket-boxes I take this 

 opportunity to mention that the East Greenlanders mal<e no basl^et-work. 

 The southern West Greenlanders on the other hand do some neat wicker- 

 work of straw (small plates and dishes), but this industry seems to have 

 been introduced Ъу the Europeans. Murdoch is probably right in saying 



^) A great number of the wooden dishes, buckets, trays and ladles ornamented 

 with totems and Avliich have won a distribution among the Alaskan Eskimo 

 originate according to W. Nelson (1899 p. 70) from the inland Tinne Indians, 

 who disposed of these wares to the Eskimo when travelling down the rivers. 

 But the Eskimo themselves also made similar objects which have their own 

 peculiar style and are found as far away as the coasts of Davis Straits. That 

 the original spoons of the West Greenlandcrs resembled those of the Ammas- 

 salikers is seen from the description in Glahn (1771) pp. 216 217. Dippers and 

 ladles from northern parts of East Greenland of similar types as in Ammas- 

 salik have been found and described by Ryder (1895) pp. 329—330. 



-) Fig. 287a made of bear's tooth, Ь of a narwhal jaw-bone (bottom and lid of 

 wood). 



8) Murdoch (1892) pp. 322 326, figs. 329-334; (basketryj pp. 326—327. 



