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an ice scratcher made of wood, sinew, and seal claws, and bearing a small, carved ivory seal figure on the handle. Collected by Edward W. Nelson from Sledge Island, Norton Sound, Alaska. Ice scratchers like this imitate the sound of seals scratching on ice, and were used by hunters to lure swimming seals to the surface of the ice. Photographed prior to display in "Arctic: A Friend Acting Strangely," a temporary exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. in 2006.

Details

  • Title: Ice-Scratcher, Seal Head on Handle
  • Location: Sledge Island, Norton Sound, Alaska, United States, North America
  • Type: Ice Scratcher
  • Rights: This image was obtained from the Smithsonian Institution. The image or its contents may be protected by international copyright laws. http://www.si.edu/termsofuse
  • External Link: View this object record in the Smithsonian Institution Collections Search Center
  • USNM Catalog Number(s): E45060-0
  • Photo Credit: Chip Clark, Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History
  • Field: Anthropology
  • Accession Date: 1880-11

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