Carved Doll, Ivory
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1 Nov 1878
name: label: Donor Name
content: Edward W. Nelson
notes: label: Notes
content: FROM CARD: “...32927 - UNALAKLEET, NORTON SOUND, ALASKA.”
label: Notes
content: Source of the information below: Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Alaska Native Collections: Sharing Knowledge website, by Aron Crowell, entry on this artifact https://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=61 , retrieved 12-29-2021; see web page for additional information: Doll, Inupiaq. A girl's doll, carved from walrus ivory. In Norton Sound, where walruses are scarce, some dolls were made from wood or bark. Young girls played with dolls made from ivory, bone and wood, and usually carved for them by their fathers. Smaller dolls could often stand upright. Some human figures were charms, ceremonial objects, or fertility amulets. These were worn around the neck, sewn into clothing, or fastened to a belt or strap. The gender of dolls or human figures was usually distinguished by anatomy, facial decoration and garments. Female figures might have facial tattooing and be dressed with earrings or nose beads, and males might have labrets (lip ornaments). Dolls were often made without arms or with the arms close to the body to make it easier to change their clothing. Doll garments such as boots, mittens and parkas were miniatures of real clothing, usually quite accurate in showing local details of design and decoration.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 29 Dec 2021
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Unalakleet, Norton Sound, Alaska, United States, North America
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Eskimo, Inupiaq
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 78A00080
label: USNM Number
content: E32927-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Doll