Style and motifs

Pictorial engravings are found on a variety of tools made of walrus and mammoth ivory. These include drill bows and bag handles, arrow-shaft straighteners, snow knives, seal drags, and, from the late nineteenth century, whole walrus tusks and souvenir pipes. In addition, the British Museum's collection also includes four pencil drawings on paper, executed in the same style as the engravings on ivory.

Most of the engravings show scenes from Iñupiaq everyday life. A favourite subject is hunting, and in particular the hunting of bowhead whales, walrus and caribou (Figs 1-3). Fascinating, although less frequent, are depictions of supernatural beings (Fig. 4), ceremonial performances and Euro-Americans (Fig. 5).

While Iñupiaq pictorial engravings frequently have been praised as small masterpieces of art, their original function is unknown. They may have been purely decorative, but they may also have recorded specific events, such as a particularly successful hunt, interactions with Europeans, or an enemy attack. Engravings showing rows of whale flukes, or skins stretched out to dry, perhaps served as a hunting tally, recording the number of game animals harvested (Fig 6). Perhaps they served magical purposes.

Animals and scenes of everyday life are depicted realistically, with characteristic features highlighted. Thus, walrus can be recognized by their tusks, while the precise rendering of stern and bow forms of kayaks may even allow the identification of local kayak types. Feathered lines indicate the breath or blow of whales, or smoke (in connection with dwellings). For more information on the different motifs, use the search facility on the home page.