Unangax̂ (Aleut), Aleutian and Pribilof Islands
Circa 1850
Walrus ivory, pony trade beads
Height 4 5/8" (11.7 cm)
Provenance: Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ, deaccessioned; private collection, New York
Unangax̂ women of the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands produced some of the most technically refined personal adornment in the Arctic world, incorporating walrus ivory carving with trade materials obtained through expanding contact with Russian and later American traders. Earrings of this type combining carved ivory forms with strands of pony trade beads represent a distinctive tradition of Unangax̂ jewelry that emerged in the 19th century as new materials became available without displacing indigenous forms. A comparable example is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum, Russia, attesting to the international significance of this jewelry tradition.
This pair is constructed with carved walrus ivory dome forms at the top, suspending multiple strands of pony trade beads in white, red, and blue, terminating in carved ivory and additional bead elements. The scale, at 4 5/8 inches, indicates these were statement pieces worn on significant occasions, and the condition of both earrings reflects careful preservation. Provenance traces to the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, one of the foremost institutions for Native American art in the United States, from which they were deaccessioned, and subsequently to a private New York collection.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Unangax̂ (Aleut), Aleutian and Pribilof Islands
Circa 1850
Walrus ivory, pony trade beads
Height 4 5/8" (11.7 cm)
Provenance: Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ, deaccessioned; private collection, New York
Unangax̂ women of the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands produced some of the most technically refined personal adornment in the Arctic world, incorporating walrus ivory carving with trade materials obtained through expanding contact with Russian and later American traders. Earrings of this type combining carved ivory forms with strands of pony trade beads represent a distinctive tradition of Unangax̂ jewelry that emerged in the 19th century as new materials became available without displacing indigenous forms. A comparable example is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum, Russia, attesting to the international significance of this jewelry tradition.
This pair is constructed with carved walrus ivory dome forms at the top, suspending multiple strands of pony trade beads in white, red, and blue, terminating in carved ivory and additional bead elements. The scale, at 4 5/8 inches, indicates these were statement pieces worn on significant occasions, and the condition of both earrings reflects careful preservation. Provenance traces to the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, one of the foremost institutions for Native American art in the United States, from which they were deaccessioned, and subsequently to a private New York collection.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
