We don’t carry a lot of Native art from Alaska, but occasionally, we are asked to sell examples by collectors. I have always been attracted to the work. Traditional pieces are among the oldest forms of Native American art in the Americas.
I was introduced to Alaskan Native arts by Bill Lovette, a native of Cortez, Colorado, who moved to Alaska as soon as he could! Working as a contractor in the state, he came into contact with Native villages and their work. He and his wife, Katrin, now own Inua, Spirit of Alaska, in Homer, where they represent the work of many Native artists.
I learned from him that Walrus ivory could only be harvested by Native people and that it was illegal to sell it unless it had been transformed into a piece of art. For example, the people on Saint Lawrence Island rely on walruses, whales, and the fish they harvest to sustain their livelihood. They can use the baleen, bones, and ivory to carve figures, create jewelry, or employ any other artistic form. Nothing goes to waste.
Again, as with many other Native Cultures, the traditional arts are fading as modern life, canned foods, technology, and the need for “real” jobs move them from their traditional lifestyles. Supporting yourself hunting whales and walrus is not an easy life.
We recently came across a walrus Ivory scrimshaw bolo tie collection by an Alaskan Native, Homer Cole. I can’t find much about him other than that many of his pieces come up for auction, and he is, or was, considered one of the best Scrimshaw artists in Alaska. Scrimshaw is the art of carving or etching designs, primarily on ivory and other hard surfaces, such as whalebone.
Alaskan and Northeast Coast Native people have been doing this work for as long as 2,000 years. Still, the practice came into its own when sailors on whaling vessels were at sea, sometimes for two or three years, and began carving intricate scenes in bones and, occasionally, tusks. In their interactions with the Native population, the Eskimos and other Northern tribes began to expand their art, and commerce in these carvings soon became an essential part of life.
These bolo ties are outstanding examples of scrimshaw by an accomplished artist. You might need one to complement your Southwestern Native bolo tie collection!
