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Alaska Native. <em>Engraved Whale Tooth</em>, late 19th century. Sperm whale tooth, black ash or graphite, oil, 6 1/2 x 3 x 2 in. (16.5 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Robert B. Woodward, 20.895. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 20.895_overall01_PS22.jpg)
Alaska Native. Engraved Whale Tooth, late 19th century. Sperm whale tooth, black ash or graphite, oil, 6 1/2 x 3 x 2 in. (16.5 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Robert B. Woodward, 20.895. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 20.895_overall01_PS22.jpg)
Alaska Native. <em>Engraved Whale Tooth</em>, late 19th century. Sperm whale tooth, black ash or graphite, oil, 6 1/2 x 3 x 2 in. (16.5 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Robert B. Woodward, 20.895. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 20.895_overall01_PS22.jpg)

Alaska Native. Engraved Whale Tooth, late 19th century. Sperm whale tooth, black ash or graphite, oil, 6 1/2 x 3 x 2 in. (16.5 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Robert B. Woodward, 20.895. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 20.895_overall01_PS22.jpg)

Alaska Native. <em>Engraved Whale Tooth</em>, late 19th century. Sperm whale tooth, black ash or graphite, oil, 6 1/2 x 3 x 2 in. (16.5 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Robert B. Woodward, 20.895. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 20.895_overall02_PS22.jpg)

Alaska Native. Engraved Whale Tooth, late 19th century. Sperm whale tooth, black ash or graphite, oil, 6 1/2 x 3 x 2 in. (16.5 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Robert B. Woodward, 20.895. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 20.895_overall02_PS22.jpg)

Alaska Native. <em>Engraved Whale Tooth</em>, late 19th century. Sperm whale tooth, black ash or graphite, oil, 6 1/2 x 3 x 2 in. (16.5 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Robert B. Woodward, 20.895. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 20.895_overall03_PS22.jpg)

Alaska Native. Engraved Whale Tooth, late 19th century. Sperm whale tooth, black ash or graphite, oil, 6 1/2 x 3 x 2 in. (16.5 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Robert B. Woodward, 20.895. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 20.895_overall03_PS22.jpg)

Alaska Native. <em>Engraved Whale Tooth</em>, late 19th century. Sperm whale tooth, black ash or graphite, oil, 6 1/2 x 3 x 2 in. (16.5 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Robert B. Woodward, 20.895. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 20.895_overall04_PS22.jpg)

Alaska Native. Engraved Whale Tooth, late 19th century. Sperm whale tooth, black ash or graphite, oil, 6 1/2 x 3 x 2 in. (16.5 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Robert B. Woodward, 20.895. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 20.895_overall04_PS22.jpg)

Alaska Native. <em>Engraved Whale Tooth</em>, late 19th century. Sperm whale tooth, black ash or graphite, oil, 6 1/2 x 3 x 2 in. (16.5 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Robert B. Woodward, 20.895. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 20.895_overall05_PS22.jpg)

Alaska Native. Engraved Whale Tooth, late 19th century. Sperm whale tooth, black ash or graphite, oil, 6 1/2 x 3 x 2 in. (16.5 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Robert B. Woodward, 20.895. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 20.895_overall05_PS22.jpg)

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Engraved Whale Tooth

Arts of the Americas

These two engraved objects, a walrus tusk and a sperm whale tooth, encapsulate aspects of Indigenous Arctic life, particularly the use of natural materials and the importance of hunting. The tusk is decorated with depictions of men hunting walrus in boats, of village huts, and of women preparing food. The tooth presents a variety of hunting scenes in which men chase a walrus, harpoon a whale, spear a bear, and aim bows and arrows at a caribou. One especially intriguing scene shows three men dancing and holding circular drums.
This text refers to these objects: 20.895; 44.34.3
CULTURE Alaska Native
MEDIUM Sperm whale tooth, black ash or graphite, oil
  • Place Made: Alaska, United States
    • DATES late 19th century
    DIMENSIONS 6 1/2 x 3 x 2 in. (16.5 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm)  (show scale)
    COLLECTIONS Arts of the Americas
    ACCESSION NUMBER 20.895
    CREDIT LINE Gift of Robert B. Woodward
    PROVENANCE Prior to 1909, provenance not yet documented; by 1909, acquired by Robert Blackburne Woodward of Brooklyn, NY; 1909, gift of Robert Blackburne Woodward to the Brooklyn Museum.
    Provenance FAQ
    CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Sperm whale tooth with engraved images depicting various aspects of hunting, fishing, and daily life. The scenes include animals such as walrus, bears, whales, fishes and dogs. The incised designs are filled with black pigment. Condition: fair and stable with some material loss towards wide end of the tooth.
    EXHIBITIONS
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
    CAPTION Alaska Native. Engraved Whale Tooth, late 19th century. Sperm whale tooth, black ash or graphite, oil, 6 1/2 x 3 x 2 in. (16.5 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Robert B. Woodward, 20.895. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 20.895_overall01_PS22.jpg)
    IMAGE overall, 20.895_overall01_PS22.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2024
    "CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
    You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
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    Alaska Native. <em>Engraved Whale Tooth</em>, late 19th century. Sperm whale tooth, black ash or graphite, oil, 6 1/2 x 3 x 2 in. (16.5 x 7.6 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Robert B. Woodward, 20.895. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 20.895_overall01_PS22.jpg)

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