South Western Alaska Yupik Eskimo Walrus Ivory Hair Comb ‘Nuyitet’ Carved with Two Anthropomorphic Caribou Heads
A South Western Alaska Yupik Eskimo Walrus Ivory Hair Comb ‘Nuyitet’ Carved with Two Anthropomorphic Caribou Heads
18th Century
SIZE: 6cm high, 2.5cm wide, 0.75cm deep – 2¼ ins high, 1 ins wide, ¼ ins deep
18th Century
SIZE: 6cm high, 2.5cm wide, 0.75cm deep – 2¼ ins high, 1 ins wide, ¼ ins deep
Eskimo women comb their hair with both ivory and antler combs. They wear their hair in two braids, which they decorate with strings of beads, animal fur and ivory ornaments. They would wash their hair in urine to kill off any lice and then carefully comb the hair. Mothers would regularly perform this task for their children. These ‘Nuyitet’ combs were also used by women as decorative hairpieces. Combs with wider teeth were called ‘tangle removers’ ‘Tegurriliurutet’.
South Western Alaska Yupik Eskimo Walrus Ivory Hair Comb ‘Nuyitet’ Carved with Two Anthropomorphic Caribou Heads
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