Adamie Alayco
MAN ICING SLED SHOES
ADAMIE ALAYCO (1913-1982), E9-1733, INUKJUAK
MAN ICING SLED SHOES
stone, signed in Roman, with syllabic inscription, condition noted
4.25" x 13.5" x 7.5" — 10.8 x 34.3 x 19.1 cm.
Note:
“In winter the shoes of the runners are covered with a thick coat of ice, which diminishes the friction on the snow. If the shoes are of good bone, ivory, or whalebone, the icing is done with water only, the driver taking a mouthful and carefully letting it run over the shoe until a smooth cover of about one third of an inch in thickness is produced. The icicles made by the water which runs down the side of the runner are carefully removed with the snow knife, and the bottom is smoothed with the same implement and afterward somewhat polished with the mitten. Skin runners and others which have poor shoes are first covered with a mixture of moss and water or clay and water. This being frozen, the whole is iced, as has been described. Instead of pure water, a mixture of blood and water or of urine and water is frequently used, as this sticks better to the bone shoe than the former.”
-Franz Boas, The Central Eskimo Sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1884-1885,Government Printing Office, Washington, 1888, p. 534-5
Estimate: $200—400
MAN ICING SLED SHOES
stone, signed in Roman, with syllabic inscription, condition noted
4.25" x 13.5" x 7.5" — 10.8 x 34.3 x 19.1 cm.
Note:
“In winter the shoes of the runners are covered with a thick coat of ice, which diminishes the friction on the snow. If the shoes are of good bone, ivory, or whalebone, the icing is done with water only, the driver taking a mouthful and carefully letting it run over the shoe until a smooth cover of about one third of an inch in thickness is produced. The icicles made by the water which runs down the side of the runner are carefully removed with the snow knife, and the bottom is smoothed with the same implement and afterward somewhat polished with the mitten. Skin runners and others which have poor shoes are first covered with a mixture of moss and water or clay and water. This being frozen, the whole is iced, as has been described. Instead of pure water, a mixture of blood and water or of urine and water is frequently used, as this sticks better to the bone shoe than the former.”
-Franz Boas, The Central Eskimo Sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1884-1885,Government Printing Office, Washington, 1888, p. 534-5
Estimate: $200—400
Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Lot # | Low Est | High Est | Sold Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-08-27 | Waddington's | 46 | 200 | 400 | 180.00 |
