Catalog Number
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0005-0033 | |
| Category | Carvings; Tools & Implements | |
| Object Name | Letter opener / paper knife | |
| Culture | Native Alaskan | |
| Global Region | North America | |
| Country | USA | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | Alaska | |
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | ||
| Maker's Name | ||
| Date of Manufacture | ||
| Collection Name | Liebes Collection (Native Alaskan) | |
| Materials | Ivory: walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) tusk | |
| Description | Letter opener or paper knife consisting of an ivory blade inserted into an ivory handle; Handle is carved in the form of a walrus with the blade entering the handle between the tusks of the walrus; The tusks are glued onto the walrus head; Paper knives were in common usage until the early 1900s, when books pages no longer routinely needed to be cut by the reader; letter openers came into vogue around the same time, with the advent of adhesive envelopes; Paper knives tend to be rounder and wider, while letter openers have narrower, pointed ends to fit into the unsealed corner of an envelope. | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 2.7, Thickness = 2.5, Length = 27.2 | |