Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number CAS 0147-0001   CAS 0147-0001; Cribbage board
Category Carvings
Object Name Cribbage board
Culture Native Alaskan
Global Region North America
Country USA
State/Prov./Dist. Alaska
County
Other Geographic Data unknown
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture ca. 1880-1920
Collection Name N/A
Materials Ivory: walrus tusk; Ink
Description Cribbage board fashioned from distal portion of a walrus tusk, whose proximal end has been sawed off; Playing board on upper surface consists of two rows of six lightly incised and inked rectangles each, with each rectangle enclosing 10 drilled holes for the game pieces; Four additional drilled holes are located at each end of the playing fields to hold gaming pieces not being used; To the left of the playing area (distal end of the tusk) is a scene showing a lone man hunting caribou with a rifle; One slain caribou and a second one starting to fall are shown while a dog chases a third one; In the space between the two playing fields are shown a pair of hares (facing each other) and an eagle between them; to the far right are shown two more caribou running toward the others; Just below them on the front edge of the tusk is shown a second hunter with a rifle and another dog; A lone bear is depicted on the reverse edge of the tusk; A larger and more detailed scene on the underside of the tusk shows three adult walrus on an ice flue and a fourth one in the water; A group of seals is resting on an adjacent ice floe, unaware of a hunter with rifle crawling toward them, his kayak tied at the edge of the ice floe; At the far right a polar bear is approaching another seal in the water, both shown with their heads above water; Vestiges of three ivory support pegs remain on underside of tusk, and portions of two ivory pegs at partially hollowed proximal end may have held covering for compartment to store gaming pieces.
Dimensions (cm) Height = 5.0, Width = 7.0, Length = 56.5