A Huge and Exceptional Eskimo Walrus Tusk Ice Cleaver

Object Description

A Huge and Exceptional Eskimo Walrus Tusk Ice Cleaver
Walrus Tusk ‘Odobenus Rosmarus’
Superb golden colour and patina
Arctic / Bering Strait
18th Century or earlier

SIZE: 62cm long – 7.5cm wide (max) – 24½ ins long, 3 ins wide (max)

Object History

Ex Private French collection
Ex Finch and Co, September 2015
Ex Private collection

Object Literature

Of immense size and weight this ice cleaver / ice knife / scraper probably served a number of tasks during the building of an ‘igloo’. The extra weight of this knife compared to normal ‘snow knives’ suggests more of a ‘chopping’ motion, rather than cutting, and a ‘shaping tool’ rather than the knives used to dust off freshly fallen snow. It is possible from the colour and size of this very large example, that the ‘blade’ or cleaver was fashioned from a very large ‘excavated’ walrus tusk, rather than freshly acquired tooth.

Object Details