Alaska, Inuit
19th century
Walrus ivory, wood, leather
Length 17 3/4" (45.1 cm); with custom museum mount
Provenance: Olympia Washington Trade; Mr and Mrs. Meyer Potamkin, NY; Sotheby's New York, Lot 149, May 22, 1989 ($5,500)
Bow drills were essential tools for Northern Indigenous hunters and craftsmen in the 19th century, the bow itself often receiving the most extensive engraving of any object in a hunter's possession, functioning as a personal record of accomplishments, travels, and encounters with animals and other peoples. Decoration of bow drills was prevalent through the 18th and 19th centuries, providing a detailed visual record of everyday Inuit life as well as the changes that came with increasing European contact. By the late 19th century the practice had largely given way to the production of engraved ivory curios for the tourist trade, making fully decorated working bow drills of this period increasingly uncommon.
This bow drill shows extensive engraved decoration across all surfaces, the imagery consistent with the journal-bow tradition in which individual hunters documented their world in carved and incised scenes. The piece carries a strong auction provenance, having passed through Sotheby's New York in 1989 from the collection of Mr and Mrs. Meyer Potamkin, and traces further to Olympia Washington Trade. The custom museum mount reflects the care with which this piece has been held and presented.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Alaska, Inuit
19th century
Walrus ivory, wood, leather
Length 17 3/4" (45.1 cm); with custom museum mount
Provenance: Olympia Washington Trade; Mr and Mrs. Meyer Potamkin, NY; Sotheby's New York, Lot 149, May 22, 1989 ($5,500)
Bow drills were essential tools for Northern Indigenous hunters and craftsmen in the 19th century, the bow itself often receiving the most extensive engraving of any object in a hunter's possession, functioning as a personal record of accomplishments, travels, and encounters with animals and other peoples. Decoration of bow drills was prevalent through the 18th and 19th centuries, providing a detailed visual record of everyday Inuit life as well as the changes that came with increasing European contact. By the late 19th century the practice had largely given way to the production of engraved ivory curios for the tourist trade, making fully decorated working bow drills of this period increasingly uncommon.
This bow drill shows extensive engraved decoration across all surfaces, the imagery consistent with the journal-bow tradition in which individual hunters documented their world in carved and incised scenes. The piece carries a strong auction provenance, having passed through Sotheby's New York in 1989 from the collection of Mr and Mrs. Meyer Potamkin, and traces further to Olympia Washington Trade. The custom museum mount reflects the care with which this piece has been held and presented.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
