Crafts & Folk Art

Eskimo baleen basket with diving whale finial of walrus ivory

The winter landscape always seems so sparse – just trees and snow in every direction. It’s hard to imagine creating a life or a culture in such an environment, but that’s exactly what the Inuit and Yupik peoples of the Arctic regions have done. With very little wood, actually, and in fact with very few materials of any sort that aren’t derived from the creatures they hunt, these groups have created an amazingly rich culture. Just imagine that: creating a whole way of life complete with clothing, tools, and transportation, with little more than small bits of wood and the bones, fur and hides of the creatures around you.

At this point, it’s worth mentioning that while we often hear the word “Eskimo” used to describe these cultures, the term is not universally accepted. There is some debate over the origin and original meaning of Eskimo, and while most linguists don’t ascribe any pejorative meaning to it, since it is not how the people refer to themselves it is considered by some Inuits to be a pejorative. The cultures are actually very distinct, especially by region, and whenever possible, we attempt to identify with the appropriate tribal name. Sadly, with little variation in materials and techniques, once these objects are removed from their context, they are not always easily identified as Yupik or Inuit, the two largest cultures of the Arctic. Thus, Eskimo remains the most common all-inclusive term, so we use it when we don’t have another option.

Anyway, perhaps objects like seal gut parkas and walrus skin pouches aren’t particularly amazing, but it’s hard not to be impressed by baleen sleds. Yes, baleen – a whole sled made from plates from a whale’s mouth! (Baleen really is an amazing thing; you can read our reference note about it here.) Some of my favorite objects are snow goggles, eye coverings of bone or wood with small slits to help protect the eyes from blowing snow and ice and to cut down on the glare. There are utilitarian objects like adzes, moccasins, and bowls, as well as more creative objects like ceremonial masks and cribbage boards. In later years, as tourism opened up in the region, handcrafts, like beautiful soapstone carvings, and, my favorite, baleen baskets with ivory finials, like the one pictured above, became popular. They’re all the more amazing when you place them in the context of an Arctic landscape!

-Hollie Davis, Senior Editor, p4A.com

Reference & Further Recommended Reading:

Andrew Clemens sand bottle apothecary jar with floral roses and daisies and the name Charlie

Also see: Sand Bottle Redux: Andrew Clemens Revisited

We come across amazing objects regularly – artifacts from moments in history that give a person cold chills, artistry that is breathtaking and delicate – but there are few things that still hold me in such thrall as an Andrew Clemens sand bottle.  After encephalitis left him deaf as a young boy, Clemens, an Iowa native, attended the state school for the deaf and dumb in Council Bluffs, and perhaps it was there that he learned the focus and attention to detail that led to his later career.  He would collect colored grains of sand in the natural world, sort them by color, and with a modified fishing hook as a tool, he would place them grain by grain in clear glass stoppered pharmacy bottles.  Grain by grain.  In bottles 8, 9, 10 inches tall.  Perhaps most remarkably, this was done without any glue, adhesive or stabilizer of any sort.  He started with simple geometric designs – multicolored bands or stacked diamonds – and fairly basic printed fonts and went on to increasingly elaborate designs with steamships, eagles carrying banners, and fancy lettering in bands of color.  They are truly remarkable and based on the number that survive, it’s clear they were known to be special from the very beginning.

Little is known about Clemens, but it appears that he became increasingly isolated as he grew older, possibly as a result of his deafness, although it’s possible his fixation with his work also played a role.  He supported himself by selling these bottles, usually for just a few dollars a piece, until he died (at 37 or 42 – his date of birth is uncertain), likely from tuberculosis.  In his short life, Clemens is believed to have made hundreds of these bottles and many still survive, periodically turning up at auction.  They’re a great lesson too – there’s rarely just one of anything in the antiques marketplace and if one gets enough attention, others will start to crop up!

-Hollie Davis, Senior Editor, p4A.com

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