Decorative Piece
4.85 cm long x 2-3.5 cm wide x 2-2.5 cm thick
Ivory
Norton Sound, Alaska (Yup’ik or Iñupiaq), c. 1876
Collector: E. W. Nelson
Museum ID number: NEL.C1.r.4603
This decorative piece is made out of ivory and has spirals carved around a hole, perhaps to allow light to seep through. This piece may be a belt buckle, but it could have also been tied around someone’s neck or hair. It could have also been a chest piece or necklace for a chief. Additionally, it could have been used for spiritual rituals, likely for men rather than women.