King Island, Alaska, Inuit
19th century or before
Walrus ivory
Length 1 1/4" (3.2 cm); width 1/4" (0.6 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Maine
Toggle carvings of this type served as fasteners for hunting lines or straps, the open loop end threaded and secured to equipment, combining practical function with skilled carving at a miniature scale. King Island, situated in the Bering Strait off the Alaska coast, was home to a community of Inuit hunters and carvers whose walrus ivory work is among the most accomplished of the Arctic region. Pieces of this type date to the 19th century or earlier, predating the period of commercial ivory carving produced for outside trade.
One end of this toggle is shaped as a seal's head with an engraved eye and muzzle, the shaft bound with incised banding, and the opposite end forms an open loop for fastening a line or strap. The ivory carries a deep, well developed patina consistent with age and use, the warm brown tone the result of decades of handling and contact. Provenance traces to a private collection in Maine.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
King Island, Alaska, Inuit
19th century or before
Walrus ivory
Length 1 1/4" (3.2 cm); width 1/4" (0.6 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Maine
Toggle carvings of this type served as fasteners for hunting lines or straps, the open loop end threaded and secured to equipment, combining practical function with skilled carving at a miniature scale. King Island, situated in the Bering Strait off the Alaska coast, was home to a community of Inuit hunters and carvers whose walrus ivory work is among the most accomplished of the Arctic region. Pieces of this type date to the 19th century or earlier, predating the period of commercial ivory carving produced for outside trade.
One end of this toggle is shaped as a seal's head with an engraved eye and muzzle, the shaft bound with incised banding, and the opposite end forms an open loop for fastening a line or strap. The ivory carries a deep, well developed patina consistent with age and use, the warm brown tone the result of decades of handling and contact. Provenance traces to a private collection in Maine.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
