Materials

moose antler; mirror; brass tacks.

Techniques or Format

One of the tines of the moose antler forms the handle. Others have been sawed off to create a spatula shape into which is set a small mirror, in the concave face of the antler. The handle is pierced for a wrist strap.

Motifs and Patterns

one side: two large circles with dots in the centres, one is quartered, seven smaller ones on the edge, image of a buffalo with cross-hatching in body; other side: the handle has a series of parallel bands filled with hatching and cross-hatching and a long straight horned snake, two buffalo near its end, two bears, two underwater panthers near snake's head, and a running deer at the top.

Condition: Good. It is missing a number of inset brass tacks on one edge and in the centre of the circles.

Current Location: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 62-15-1

Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1962

GKS Reference Number: 26109

Record Creation Context

GRASAC site research visit by Alan Corbiere, David Penney, Stacey Loyer, Ruth Phillips and William Wierzbowski (curator) on December 2, 2009