Carved alligator, walrus bone
notes: label: Description
content: This is a carved alligator made of walrus bone. It has a flattened back. This object was donated to the Smithsonian Institution by F. J. Kaldenberg in 1884. Walrus bone carving has been employed for thousands of years, originating from the practices of indigenous people in the Northwest Alaska arctic coast, such as the Yupik and Inupiat. Native peoples of Alaska have utilized walrus and whale bone for making intricate, carved artworks, personal adornments such as lip plugs, and tools such as harpoon heads. With increased globalization through trade and colonization, the allure of walrus bone carvings spread. While the maker of this object is unknown, being that it is an alligator, it appears to be a work less influenced by the Native cultures that originated the practice. Though the maker could indeed be Native, this work provides an example of the changes in this practice during the 19th century, a time of increased globalization that often affected the land and economy of Native peoples. Today, walrus hunting is highly regulated, and only Alaskan Natives are allowed to hunt and carve walrus bone under the Marine Mammal Act of 1972. Once it is carved into an artwork, anyone can own it, and walrus bone carving has continued to be a lucrative economy for many Native people.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Agriculture
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: F. J. Kaldenberg
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AG.102336
label: accession number
content: 015275 ?
label: catalog number
content: 102336
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Carving, Alligator
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: walrus bone (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3/4 in x 3 in x 8 1/2 in; 1.905 cm x 7.62 cm x 21.59 cm