Bow drill bow

Reference : 122

Bow drill bow

Marine mammal ivory (walrus, Odobenus rosmarus)
Dimension: Length 37cm
Inupiaq population
Historical period
Presumed date of birth: Circa 1850
Alaska, USA

Source :
Private collection, Short Hills, New Jersey
Larry Frank, Arroyo Hondo, New Mexico.

Photo caption:
Man using a bow drill. King Island, circa 1920.
Photo by Edward S. Curtis. The Library of Congress, 3a16199

More details

This bow is made from a walrus tusk that has been resharpened and polished. It was engraved with a flint point on all three sides with animal friezes: bears, caribou, birds, plus a bow hunting scene. The engraving has been blackened to make it easy to read, probably using a mixture of charcoal and oil.

Two holes have been drilled at each end for a leather strap.

This was used to hold a wooden spindle containing a drill bit on one end and a mouthpiece fitted with a bearing on the other.

Engraving was achieved by the back-and-forth movement of the bow. Craftsmen kept sets of spindles with stone or iron wicks of various sizes.

Price: €6,500

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