Knife
Despite its crude appearance, this tool would have been used for cutting and cleaning seal and whale meat. This has an iron cutting blade set into a wooden handle bound in animal sinew. Iron wasn’t known until the arrival of Europeans who traded it.
Object Summary
Museum Number | E1234 |
Simple Name | tool |
Full Name | knife |
Common Name | knife |
Production country | Canada |
Material | wood; iron; sinew |
Collection class | Tools for farm and craft |
Collection continent | America |
Collection area/region | N |
Production county | Western Arctic |
Production continent | North America |
Production year high | 1778 |
Cultural group | possibly Inuit |
Function name | tool |
Function detail | Captain Cook headed north in 1778 after leaving Hawaii and came to the American Northwest and the Arctic. Iron wasn’t known until the arrival of Europeans who traded it. It is difficult to know the exact origin or function of this tool. |