Ivory seal effigy / Arctic, Inuit

Essay/Description

Seal effigy made from ivory.

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Anthropology Item Information

©Gilcrease Museum

Title(s):

Ivory seal effigy

Culture:

Arctic, Inuit

Date:

1800s

Period:

Historic

Place:

Alaska

Materials/Techniques:

Ivory

Classification:

Archaeological Objects

Object Type:

Seal Effigy

Accession No:

83.1219

Department:

Anthropology

Collection:

Kravis Discovery Center

Not On View

Dimensions

Overall:

Height: 1 3/50in. (2.7cm)
Width: 0 19/20in. (2.4cm)
Length: 4 5/32in. (10.5cm)

Tags and Search Terms

Tags:

Alaska, Arctic, Ceremonial, effigies, effigy, effigys, Eskimo, Indian, Indians, Native American, sculpture

The Inuit believe that every living creature has a soul and that soul is “a tiny replica of the being it inhabits” and lives in the bladder (Furst and Furst 1982, 141). As a result, many miniature ivory effigies of animals and people have been produced and the Inuit place significant importance on the returning of seal bladders to the ocean to produce more seals (Furst and Furst 1982, 141).

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Cite this Page

Ivory seal effigy. 83.1219. Kravis Discovery Center. 1800s. Tulsa: Gilcrease Museum, https://collections.gilcrease.org/object/831219 (04/19/2017).

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