Canadian Inuit. <em>Dance Paddle?</em>, 1900–1950. Wood, ivory, pigment, string (cotton?), Board: 7 3/4 x 1 1/2 in. (20.0 x 3.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of J.L. Greason, 67.26.13. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 67.26.13_bw.jpg)

Canadian Inuit. Dance Paddle?, 1900–1950. Wood, ivory, pigment, string (cotton?), Board: 7 3/4 x 1 1/2 in. (20.0 x 3.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of J.L. Greason, 67.26.13. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 67.26.13_bw.jpg)

DOWNLOAD

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Why are three pieces of Alaskan art paired with a piece from Brazil?

Great question! The installation is by theme and use rather than country of origin.

What is the theme for this case?

The theme is talismans and charms. The necklaces may have been worn by a shaman or medicine man. Images of animals on the Tukano necklace from Brazil acknowledges the important relationship between humans and animals. All three pieces are made from natural materials found within these specific regions.

There is a case of musical instruments from different countries nearby that keeps with the concept of themes within the exhibition.

Okay, I'll check that out, thank you!

You're welcome!

The caption says these are carved from whale teeth, but what are they images of? (Friend and I aren't sure between whales and walruses.)

These are seal sculptures from an Eskimo or Inuit artist. Both the constraints of the raw material and their nomadic way of life in the Arctic make smallness in scale a virtue.

What is a dance paddle? I think the little figurines look like fish or seals.

We are unsure of its use but based on comparison with similar objects, some believe it may be a dance paddle. An object that was carried and somehow brandished during winter ceremonies.

The little figurines are seals! As for the other possible functions of an object like this, it's hard to say without more contextual information.

Various indigenous cultures of the Arctic carved tools for hunting, fishing, and sewing as well as for religious ceremonies, toys, or jewelry!

Dance Paddle?

Arts of the Americas

CULTURE Canadian Inuit

MEDIUM Wood, ivory, pigment, string (cotton?)

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS

Possible place made: Alaska, United States
Possible place made: Nunavut, Canada

DATES 1900–1950

DIMENSIONS Board: 7 3/4 x 1 1/2 in. (20.0 x 3.3 cm) length of seals: 1 to 1 3/8 in. (2.5 to 3.5 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Arts of the Americas

ACCESSION NUMBER 67.26.13

CREDIT LINE Gift of J.L. Greason

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION A wooden board with 10 attached painted and incised ivory carvings of seals. Condition: good.

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Canadian Inuit. Dance Paddle?, 1900–1950. Wood, ivory, pigment, string (cotton?), Board: 7 3/4 x 1 1/2 in. (20.0 x 3.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of J.L. Greason, 67.26.13. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 67.26.13_bw.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 67.26.13_bw.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

"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.

RECORD COMPLETENESS

Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.