Carving
Ivory
Ivory carving of a sledge from North America
This walrus ivory carving of a sledge is from North America. It is probably an Inuit-made toy or ornament, and forms part of a collection of carvings which form a hunting scene, including two men, a woman, four husky dogs, a bear and a seal tied to this sledge. Another theory is that these were meant as charms against injury, or to attract animals.
Inuit peoples traditionally hunted seals for food and for their pelts, a useful source of material for clothing. Seal meat is still an important food source for many communities in Nunavut, Canada. Today, Inuit sealing makes up three percent of the total number of seals hunted each year, with commercial seal hunting remaining a controversial activity opposed by many animal rights campaigners.
This object was donated by Beatrice Braithwaite-Batty (1833-1933). She travelled to India in 1860 with her missionary husband as part of the Church Missionary Society. She travelled extensively and donated objects to Reading Museum, Pitt Rivers and the Archaeology and Anthropology Museum in Cambridge.
Museum object number