The Daily Alaska empire., 1950-12-18
MUSEUM OBTAINS RARE CURI0S AT
 ERSKINE AUCTION


 E. L. Keithahn at the auction of the Erskine collection held last week in Kodiak. Keithahn re- turned on Mondays Pacific North ern Airways plane. bringing most of the pieces with him.
 Of exquisite beauty and work manship are two Attu baskets. Both are worked in a floral pat tern of roses with beautiful shad- ings in rose and green colors. One is an open basket, as dainty as lace and the other covers an II inch Chinese wine bottle. The baskets are the finest the Museum has yet obtained. Curator Keithahn said They will be put in the William Rauch collection.
 Rare Pipes
 Two rare pieces are Eskimo pipes of walrus ivory. The bowls of the pipes are better than anything the Museum has and demonstrate a type of Eskimo carving virtually unknown and long since abandoned, the Curator said. The stems of both pipes are eXpertly carved in various designs The stem of the smaller pipe which is nine inches long, is a solid mass of beautiful totemic engravings in red and black colors. Raised on the stem are carved two sea otter and the bowl is a carved sea otter head.
 Rare Tll-c Bowl
 The bowl of the larger pipe which is IT inches long is ex- ceptionally rare. It is carved in the form of a tusked walrus with hinged head.
 A Russian brass cannon and mount dating from the Russian tenure in Alaska was also pur- chased for the Museum by the Curator and is being shipped to Juneau. The cannon, the Curator said, is steeped in tradition and is mentioned in two different books. Oldtimers remember when it was used by the Greek Orthodox Church in Kodiak to fire salutes on Holy Days.
 Mechanical Mask
 A Tlingit mechanical mask. used by the Shamans, is the first of its type in the Museum collection. It is expertly made and the eyes can be made to move by pulling certain strings attached on the inside. Long known to exist. the mechanical masks are now rare and Curator Keithahn feels the Museum fortunate in being able to obtain so well made an ex- ample of this art.
 The Curator also obtained Russian wrought iron pike to add to the Museums collection.
 Keithahn said that it was through the courtesy of the heirs, who re- frained from bidding for these arti- facts desired to complete certain Museum collections that he was able to obtain them.
 High Prices Paid
 Ke-thahn said an all time record high sum, in his knowledge, was paid at the auction for a samovar which brought s1,O35. Another samoyar that had been converted into a lamp was sold for $500. A lampada brought S225, and two copper kettles were bid in at SIS and S93 respectively.
 The Erskine tradition was partly responsible for such large sums being bid for the curios, Keithahn believed. The Erskine family for years collected curios. Erskine pur- chased the Alaska Commercial Company holdings at Kodiak which, when Alaska was purchased from Russia had taken over the Rus sian American Go. interests.
 Oldest House in Alaska
 The auction was held in the Erskine home at Kodiak, the oldest standing house in Alaska. It was built between 1793-96 by Baranof as a magazine and used for stores. Made of hewed timbers, it's walls are 15 inches thick. Later it was sheathed in California Redwood.
 The bulk of the Erskine curio5 and personal possessions auctioned were purchased by the heirs, Keith ahn said.
 Keithahn said he was impressed cy the hospitality of the people of Kodiak while he was there. He was extended every courtesy, he said.
 Expecting winter weather he was agreeably surprised to find it like early fall The temperature was mild, the sun shone and the fall colorings made a golden glow over the Island, he said.
 While in Kodiak Keithahn visited With the Tom Crooks and their two daughters who went there re- gently from Juneau when Crooks was appointed to the staff of the Kodiak bank. They sent greetings to all their Juneau friends.
 Asked to talk to the Kodiak high school students on Alaska.