Arctic Exhibit 2 | UNI Museum @ Rod Library

Displaying 1 - 16 of 16

	Catalog #	Name	Description
1	00.56.2.50.1	Knife	Ice and Snow knife made from ivory. The knife was used for cutting and shaping snow. Along the length of the knife are bird feather like designs on both sides with the handle designated as the head. There is yellow discoloration from use.
2	1989.43.114	Bead	Trade; Cornaline d'Aleppo. Red over green; 8 beads on a string.. Color: RD,GR
3	1989.43.115	Beads	Trade; Small beads on a clear string. The beads colors are beginning to wear off. The string is tied in a knot. Twelve red over white Cornaline d’Alleppo beads melted together. Three are white and two are red over green. They were probably melted during a cremation. Beads were often made from ivory or bone, and were usually used on amulets or as decoration on clothing. Later, glass beads were introduced to and adopted by the Inuit tribes in the 1700’s. Beads are considered to be an important aspect of Inuit visual culture. Because of how small they are, they can sewn onto articles of clothing in ways that represent familial beliefs. Some of these designs and patterns may have correlated with tattoos. Carnelian Venetian beads. Items in the accession were given to UNI after the death of donor's wife. Most were originally collected by donor’s father-in-law who died in 1954.
4	1989.60.14	Fishhook	Partial; connecting piece of an ivory fishhook. Cylindrical shape with a hollowed out middle and three crevasses on the sides to hold the sharpened points together.
5	2006.9.1	Fetish	Small figurine of carved ivory. The figurine is of a human female in standing position with arms to the side. The coloration of the figurine varies in areas. Small ivory figurine of a human/person. Their hands are connected in front of them. They are in a standing position. Facial features are not defined and there is no hair or clothing on the figurine. The head is very round. Sent to UNI from Pagosa Springs, CO. Mysterious use historically: some think they were used as good luck charms while hunting, others think they were used as game pieces. Some people believed the figurines to be connected to life and death. Within Inuit culture and beliefs, each living thing has a tarniq, a soul, that consists of a miniature image of that living thing. The miniature image of the living thing produces the living thing itself. Most modern Inuit are now Christian and reject the idea of fetish figurines being used as good luck charms or protection amulets. Would be carried with them on their person. The Inuit were nomadic, and therefore they carried with them what they could. To carry a personal item such as a fetish figure indicated wealth and status. This nomadic lifestyle is also the reason for the small size of the figurines. Some fetish figurines have holes, indicating they were worn as jewelry. Fetish figurines could have been used as toys, to teach children how to be adults, and therefore would have symbolized transformation.
6	2006.9.12	Scraper	Wide wedge shaped head of a scraper; the wide end appears to have once been attached to another piece, as it is slightly notched. There are holes near the midsection of the surface. The piece narrows slightly and flattens to a dull pointed edge. These scrapers were used to scrape animal remains from hides of animals.
7	2006.9.15	Scraper	A wedge-shaped piece that gradually narrows toward a flattened tip. The piece slightly bows. The underside is polished smooth and is porous. The upperside is slightly convex and polished smooth. A long narrow shallow slit runs length-wise down the middle; several notches run across the tip of the wedge, forming an area of rough slashes.
8	2006.9.17	ivory fragment	several long polished faces of this piece. One tip of the piece is narrowed and ends in a nub point. The piece then widens and gradually narrows again towards the other end, where it ends in a boxed shape. One side of the piece appears to have been split and a portion cleaved off. Color: BR
9	2006.9.26	ivory fragment	a roughly-shaped fragment with three main faces. The piece narrows width-wise into a sharp pointed edge. Each face is fairly smooth. A wide semi-circular potion in the middle of the piece is polished smooth. Color: TN
10	2006.9.27	ivory fragment	this piece is fashioned in a rough menner; the piece is fairly flat, with the top and undersides smoothed flat. The edges are also smoothed flat. The piece consists of two portions; the back portion is narrow. This piece abruptly broadens, then gradually narrows again to a point. Color: TN and BR
11	2006.9.34	ivory fragment	conical in shape, this piece is polished smooth. The piece is wide at its base and as it lengthens, the piece narrows to a blunt tip. As it narrows, the piece arcs slightly. A 7/16 in hole has been carved through the center of the piece. The coloration is splotchy and not uniform. The wide base is rough and jagged and appears to have broken off. Color: BR
12	2006.9.35	needle	long narrow needle; oval hole is on widest end. Tip of needle is slightly bent and dull. Color: TN
13	2006.9.36	needle	long, narrow needle; flattened-oval-shaped hole slightly above the needle's midsection. Tip of needle is dull and appears broken off. Color: TN
14	2006.9.37	awl	Awl has a long sharp point connected to a slender rounded shaft that tapers and flattens into a box shape with defined edges. The end of the shaft appears slightly broken off or chipped. There are no visible decorations.
15	2006.9.38	spear, fish	the tip of this spear point is broken and now the tip is jagged. The piece is long, slender, and beings as a flattenedd cylinder at the base; this shape gradually flattens itself near the tip, forming distinct sides. A sharpened hook juts from the tip towards the base. The base of the point abruptly narrows to a very sharp point, used to attach the piece to a spear. Color: TN
16	2006.9.5	Bola, Weight	The bola weight is roughly shaped like a kernel of corn with flat sides and a rounded bottom. At the top a circular hole has been drilled and a piece of the top edge is broken off. The coloration varies in brightness, wherein one side is noticeably lighter in color than another. There are visible wear and tear marks, indicating use. The weight is often with other weights of the same shape and tied together to create a bola, or a throwing weapon.