Early 19th C. Inuit Compound Bow
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GUEST:
This is an Eskimo Inuit hunting bow that I acquired from a fellow collector in California about 35 years ago, who had acquired it at, at Brimfield, where the dealer said that it was collected by an RCM, a Royal Canadian Mountie, in the Canadian Northwest Territory.
APPRAISER:
Terminology is evolving, and the term, um, "Eskimo" is becoming, uh, less favorable, and, and is, is properly being replaced with, um, First Nation people, Inuit Native American. That sort of terminology is, is more respectful and more accurate today.
GUEST:
More accurate-- good.
APPRAISER:
This was produced by a genius craftsperson. All along the bottom, I believe, is musk ox horn. And it's split diagonally right across the middle, and then riveted with iron hand-forged steel rivets. All along the top, I believe this is sealskin.
GUEST:
Yeah, yeah.
APPRAISER:
It, it may perhaps be sea lion skin. I'm not certain about that. And then above that-- and this is where the genius really comes in-- these are cords of animal sinew. And sinew is the long cordage, typically on the back of the neck.
GUEST:
Hm.
APPRAISER:
It's twisted. It's very, very strong. It never breaks. It's triple-wound here for the, uh, bowstring. All of these ties are reinforcing this musk ox horn. It's reinforced at both sides with walrus ivory. I believe this is from Southern Alaska. This is not for inland hunting of caribou. The quarry here would be, uh, seals, sea lions, walrus. A hunter would be out in rather dangerous circumstances, in a kayak, holding this over the side of the kayak. He probably was rather muscular man.
GUEST:
(chuckles)
APPRAISER:
This could take down a creature that may weigh 600, 700, 800 pounds. It's a powerful, powerful bow. If the hunter comes home with a seal or a sea lion, his family eats. If he doesn't, they may be eating dried salmon for the next six months. And clothing would be made from the quarry that, uh, this is used to hunt.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
This is old. Do you have a sense of its age?
GUEST:
A sense to me was in the late 19th century, early 20th.
APPRAISER:
I don't believe there are any steel tools utilized here. There are file marks along here, but I don't believe that they're metal files. They're not regular. So I think this was scraped down with stone tools.
GUEST:
Hm.
APPRAISER:
That indicates a rather early vintage.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
I think it's 100 years, perhaps, earlier than you're suggesting.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
I think 1780-1830...
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
...is, is a legitimate dating.
GUEST:
Much earlier than I thought.
APPRAISER:
It's very early. The construction is extraordinary. It's in fabulous condition. Do you have any feeling for value?
GUEST:
Well, I know I paid $125 30-plus years ago, and I have no real good idea. I thought it was roughly... (exhales): ...$5,000 to $7,500.
APPRAISER:
I think, on a retail basis, this bow-- it's magnificent-- would be valued in the neighborhood of $8,500. It would be very, very difficult to replace this.
GUEST:
(chuckles): Yeah, yeah.
APPRAISER:
I think 12... $10,000 to $12,000 I think, would be...
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
...a very appropriate insurance value. Um, it's, it's just superb.
GUEST:
Wonderful to know.
Appraisal Details
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